


My Brother’s Keeper

by HarpforHim



Series: A Series of Six Clone Wars Novellas [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: Clone Wars: Gambit Series - Karen Miller, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Ahsoka Flashbacks, Ahsoka Tano Needs a Hug, Ahsoka Tano-centric, Ahsoka accidentally shoots Anakin, Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano Friendship, CC-2224 | Cody is a Good Bro, CT-27-5555 | Fives | ARC-5555 is a Good Bro, CT-7567 | Rex & Ahsoka Tano Friendship, Gen, Hurt Anakin Skywalker, Hurt Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, Minor Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker, OCs - Freeform, Obi-Wan Kenobi Needs a Hug, Obi-Wan Kenobi is a Mess, POV CT-7567 | Rex, Padawan Ahsoka Tano, Protective Ahsoka Tano, Protective Anakin Skywalker, Protective CT-7567 | Rex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-12-10
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:53:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 23
Words: 47,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27208441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HarpforHim/pseuds/HarpforHim
Summary: "Commander…what…?" Rex's shocked whisper drove needles into her pounding heart. Her Master's body hit the ground with a dull thud.A mission gone wrong; a Master wounded at the hands of his student...During the height of the Clone Wars, Ahsoka and Obi-Wan are thrust into a race against time to save their brother's life before they lose him forever. But time is not their only enemy...
Relationships: Ahsoka Tano & Clone Troopers, Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano, CC-2224 | Cody & Obi-Wan Kenobi, CT-27-5555 | Fives | ARC-5555 & CT-5385 | Tup, CT-5597 | Jesse & Ahsoka Tano, CT-7567 | Rex & Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Clone Troopers, Obi-Wan Kenobi/Anakin Skywalker
Series: A Series of Six Clone Wars Novellas [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1927897
Comments: 122
Kudos: 263





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to the second of my six Clone Wars novellas! All of which take their plots from episodes of my favorite western TV series. Can anyone guess this one? (The name is very telling.)
> 
> Last time, it was Obi-Wan who had the spotlight; now it's Ahsoka's
> 
> Note: While this story follows my previous novella, "The Crucible," its not crucial to have read that one first. I only allude to the events later on. ;)
> 
> Enjoy!

_She couldn't remember ever being more nervous._

_Standing in the cool interior of the starship, the young Torgruta knew the shivers traveling down her spine weren't only because of the skimpy red outfit she'd chosen to wear that day._

_In just a few minutes, she would meet her new Jedi Master and make the transition from Initiate to Padawan._

_**It's about time!** _ _She thought._ _**Who's ever heard of a fourteen-year-old Initiate?** _

_She was older than the usual starting age, she knew, but that simply meant she was more experienced, more capable._

_More ready to learn than ever before._

_Still, she felt incredibly young, almost unworthy to be a Padawan at her age. She didn't know of anyone around her age fighting in the Clone Wars._

_An eternity seemed to pass as the ship made its landing on Christophsis, settling gently onto the war-torn city landscape._

_**Don't be nervous… Don't be—** _

_Who was she kidding? She was_ _**terrified** _ _. Hundreds of possible scenarios flooded her psyche, overloading her brain. Would her new Master like her? Would he be hard on her, easy on her? Would he be too lenient or too harsh?_

_Would he even_ _**want** _ _her? Would he_ _**reject** _ _her?_

_Did he even know she was coming? Would he be happy about this new arrangement, or just see her as a burden?_

_After all, he hadn't chosen her—Master Yoda had chosen her_ _**for** _ _him._

_**Someone better have told him I'm coming.** _

_**I'm coming, Master.** _

_**Master…** _

_Another shiver wracked her thin frame, excitement and anxiety dancing across her orange skin._

_Then, the door opened._

_Shading her eyes against the bright sun, she bounded down the ramp a little faster than necessary._

_**This is the moment. This is it!** _

_The moment every young Jedi dreamed of, hoped for,_ _**yearned** _ _for._

_She hadn't even finished walking up to the two Jedi Masters standing before her when the taller of the two crossed his arms, gazing at her with annoyed curiosity._

" _And who are you?"_

_Was_ _**this** _ _her Master? Master Skywalker? He looked… younger than his holonet pictures. During more peaceful times, she would have pegged him as only a Senior Padawan, not a full Jedi Knight._

_But this was war, and as Master Yoda had told her, "A little more unorthodox these days, things are."_

" _I'm Ahsoka…" She introduced with more hesitation than she would have liked. "Master Yoda sent me."_

_Master Skywalker didn't appear impressed in the slightest. Not with her or with the sly smirk his companion was giving him._

_Instead, he simply glared down at her expectantly, as if she was a mere messenger who was getting in the way of his hero work._

_**So… a burden it is, then…** _

* * *

"This is insane. We just finished a battle here and they expect us to pack up and move to another one just like that?" With the sharp snap of his fingers, Anakin drove his point into the ground.

Yet, Master Obi-Wan appeared to be unmoved.

"I'm sorry it upsets you so, Anakin, but who am I to argue with the Jedi Council?"

"But Master," he pressed, a bit of a whine lacing his tone, "you're _on_ the Council!"

Ahsoka shot her grandmaster a sympathetic look as he continued, "That's beside the point."

"It's _exactly_ the point!" Anakin exclaimed, throwing his arms into the air. "You're on the Council, you should be able to tell them we need a break."

"We're fine, Anakin. Besides, we're not heading into another battle. Not with the Separatists, at least."

Ahsoka stood her ground as her Master crossed his arms, trying not to back away. She wasn't scared of Skyguy when he got into these aggravated moods, she just… liked to keep her distance. After all, she knew her Master well. Two years with the man had given her plenty of time to learn his habits, and she knew for a fact that he grew rather reckless when he lost his temper.

_One day, I'm not going to be here to remind you to calm down, Skyguy. And neither is Master Obi-Wan._

As a waft of lingering smoke drifted past her face, stinging her eyes and nose before it disappeared into the air, she wondered if Anakin's anger would dissipate in the same way.

Instead, Anakin fixed his old Master with a hard stare. "Yeah? Then what kind of battle is it?"

"It might not even _be_ a battle," Obi-Wan tried to explain. "Look, the Council received a call for help from Otumni and we're commanding the closest battalion. Like it or not, we're the most logical option."

Her Master sighed. "Fine, I get that. But our troops are tired, you're tired, Ahsoka's tired— _I'm_ tired!"

"I'm not tired!" She blurted, inserting herself into the conversation. "I'm ready for anything, Master. Just tell me where to point my lightsaber."

Her spunk was rewarded with a smile from Anakin. "Sure, Snips. Hey, what was your final count?"

An air of pride settled over her and she straightened. "Fifty-seven."

"Not bad. Not bad." Anakin nodded thoughtfully. "But that means I still beat you by five."

"How you two have time to count destroyed droids in the heat of battle is beyond me," Obi-Wan commented dryly. "Let's not forget: this is war, not a game."

"Sure," Anakin replied. "But how does that saying go again? Something about you gotta laugh or you'll cry?"

With a stroke of his beard, her grandmaster nodded. "True. Well, in that case, you had better start laughing."

"What? Why?"

"Because I would hate for you to cry when I tell you _my_ final count of seventy-one."

Ahsoka had to stifle a laugh when her Master's jaw went slack.

_Wow… Take_ _**that** _ _, Skyguy!_

With a smirk, Obi-Wan retreated back to their base, which was little more than a circle of gunships and scattered equipment, leaving one last instruction for the duo:

"When you finish tidying up your section of the battlefield, you can join me and Cody at the comm-hub for a briefing on our next mission."

"Guess you lost this round, Master," Ahsoka commented when Obi-Wan was out of earshot. "Hey, maybe next time, right?"

He muttered something she couldn't quite make out, but that was all right. It probably wasn't something for young ears, anyway.

"I can't believe it. How did he… And he tells me war isn't a game." He muttered something else in a language she couldn't understand and she made a mental note to look up the word later.

"Just laugh, Skyguy," she said, patting him on the arm, "or else you'll cry. Right?"

"Haha. Happy now?"

She shrugged. "It's a start. Come on, let's hurry with the clean-up. We don't want to keep Master Obi-Wan waiting too long."

"Oh, Force forbid."

With a skip in her step, she trailed behind her Master, being careful not to trip over the fizzing remains of dismembered battle droids.

"Do you really think we won't be able to handle this new mission, Master?" She asked after a few moments of silent work.

"I don't know," he said, exhaustion bleeding into his voice. "I'm just concerned about our troops. The 501st took on heavy casualties this time around. I don't want to lose any more of our boys."

"Maybe we should talk to Captain Rex? Find out what he thinks?"

"He's a soldier to the end, Ahsoka. He'll go wherever we lead him." He sighed. "And I don't want to lead him into another massacre."

"But… we won this round, right?"

"Yeah, sure. But at what cost?"

Struck dumb, Ahsoka watched her Master dragged himself to the next clean-up zone, where Fives was helping Kix with yet another wounded soldier.

It wasn't often that she stopped to think about everything they sacrificed during these battles, she was too busy focusing on all the innocent citizens they were saving.

Why did her Master have to be so confusing? One moment, he was playing the I-can-destroy-more-droids-than-you game, and the next he was going on about how much they were losing to this war.

The worst part was that Ahsoka couldn't remember a galaxy _without_ war. Her entire apprenticeship had so far taken place during the Clone Wars, and most days she didn't give it a second thought.

_It's just how things are…_

But sometimes…every-so-often…she wondered what her apprenticeship would be like if she had been a Padawan during peacetime.

 _What was it like for Skyguy? What was it like for Master_ _ **Obi-Wan**_ _?_ She often found she had an easier time picturing her own Master as a Padawan than Master Obi-Wan. Sometimes, Anakin _still_ acted like a Padawan, especially when he was around Obi-Wan.

Tucking away such unhelpful thoughts, Ahsoka jogged over to Rex, who was just finishing with his own clean-up zone.

"Hey, Commander," he greeted, smiling down at her. "Almost finished over there?"

"Yeah. I think Skyguy is just giving the area one last sweep."

_He wants to make sure we don't leave any fallen brothers behind._

The captain nodded solemnly, and for a brief moment, she feared she had accidentally spoken her private thoughts.

"So, um…" Why was she hesitating? "Did you hear about our new mission yet?"

_Please, say yes! Say yes!_

To her dismay, Rex shook his head.

"A call for help from Otumni," she went on, hoping to land the blow quickly and get it over with. "We're the closest battalion."

"Effective immediately, I'm guessing?"

She nodded. "Master Obi-Wan and Commander Cody are prepping to brief everyone."

Rex furrowed his brows. "How many troops are really needed for a mission like that?"

"I'm not sure… But I'm worried about Anakin. He doesn't think we can hop from one mission to another without some sort of a break. Do you think that's a legitimate concern? Or do you think it's just Anakin being… well… Skyguy?"

"It all depends on the mission. I've got a lot of faith placed in our boys, but I doubt they'd fair well in a new battle. Not after one like this… not without rest."

Her mouth felt suddenly dry. Was the Council leading them into another massacre?

_No. They would never. Not intentionally, at least._

"What are your thoughts on it, Commander?"

Her thoughts?

For a moment, she didn't know. No one ever really asked her how she felt about these things. They simply briefed her on the plan and the part she would play in it.

Her thoughts…

"I…" she shrugged. " _I_ think thrusting the 501st and the 212th into another battle is...foolish, but not impossible. And who knows? Maybe there won't even _be_ a battle. Not every cry for help is a call to war."

A warm chuckle filled the air around them. "They outta give _you_ a seat on that council."

The unfamiliar heat of a blush crept up around her neck and into her cheeks.

_Imagine_ _**me** _ _on the Jedi Council!_

To her, the idea was beyond absurd, but the way Rex had said it made it sound like the most natural proposition in the galaxy.

"Yeah, right," she replied with a laugh. "The odds of me ever getting a seat are the same as Skyguy's: zero."

"Honestly? I think you have a higher chance than even he does." Winking, he lowered his voice. "Just don't tell the general I said that."

"My lips are sealed."

"Good. Now, let's go see what Cody and General Kenobi have planned for us, shall we?"

"Lead the way, captain."

With a light skip in her step, Ahsoka trailed alongside Rex, trying to stay optimistic about their situation, just like Master Obi-Wan had taught her. But it grew increasingly harder to do so as they passed by Kix's make-shift medical station, which was overflowing with wounded—possibly dying—clone troopers.

" _Yeah, sure. But at what cost?"_

Her Master's words echoed throughout her mind, sinking her spirits lower and lower as she walked on.

 _Come on, Ahsoka!_ She scolded. _Lace it all with optimism! Just a hint of optimism…_

A moan floated past her ears on the wind. Keeping her gaze fixed on the camp of ships ahead was the best way to keep her thoughts away from the private writhing in agony by her knees.

At what cost…?

_Why does there always have to be such a heavy cost?_


	2. Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter references the second book in Karen Miller's Clone Wars duology, "Siege," which took place largely on the planet Lanteeb. I highly recommend reading the book!  
> The gist of it is (minor SPOILERS for the book!): Obi-Wan nearly uses up all his energy trying to heal the people of this one village, much to Anakin’s worry that he’d go too far and accidentally kill himself.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this next chapter. :)

"I'm afraid details on this mission are scarce as the call transmitted to the Jedi Temple was made anonymously."

The low hum of the _Resolute's_ engines mixed well with Master Obi-Wan's gentle voice, creating one of Ahsoka's favorite soothing atmospheres. Nestled between Rex and Anakin around the comm-hub, she felt safe, confident. Whatever happened next, she felt ready with her brothers surrounding her on every side.

Ready for anything.

"If the call was anonymous," Anakin interjected thoughtfully, "how can we be sure we're not flying into a trap?"

"A trap on Otumni?" Cody responded. "I'm sorry, sir, but that's highly unlikely. Among the planets best known for their peace-loving people, Otumni is at the top of the list."

"Sure, and I love peace just as much as the next guy, but that doesn't make me immune to danger or deception."

"Master Skywalker's right," Ahsoka said, furrowing her pure white brows. "Even the most peaceful planets can be attacked."

"I'd even go as far to say they're the most susceptible," Rex chimed in.

Obi-Wan stroked his beard, his expression betraying slight concern. "That may be true, but a call for help is a call for help, no matter where or _who_ it comes from."

"And what if it's a Separtist plan to lure us back into battle," Anakin pressed.

"While that's always a possibility," Obi-Wan countered, "we can't forget that we're at war here. No matter where we go, we'll be met with Separatist opposition. One more battle against their forces is one less battle we'll have to fight later."

"Yeah, but fighting later is still the better option here." Her Master was quickly losing control of his temper, Ahsoka could feel it. "That last battle was one of the worst the 501st has ever seen! And you expect us just to plunge headfirst into another fight?"

"Anakin, we already had this discussion. Our battalions are the closest to—"

"And they're the most worn out!"

Opening his mouth to reply, Obi-Wan was cut off by Cody. The relief on his face was contagious and Ahsoka found herself swallowing a sigh.

"With all due respect, General Skywalker, the 501st has seen far worse battles than this one, under less than adequate leadership. I don't want to speak for Rex, but I believe the troops can handle whatever's going wrong on Otumni."

She felt Rex stiffen beside her, a motion so minute she nearly missed it. It made her wonder just how many others had noticed.

And it worried her.

"That's right," the captain acknowledged after a few seconds. "We're ready for anything, sir."

"How do I know you're not just saying that?" Anakin questioned. "We can't risk losing anymore men on some pointless mission we don't know a thing about!"

"Helping those in need is never pointless, Anakin," Obi-Wan said, his voice solemn.

"And if it turns out to be some sort of sick Separatist trick?"

"Then we free Otumni from Separatist control."

She could feel discord radiating off her Master and into the Force. "Simple as that, huh?"

"Nothing about this is simple, but there are people out there who need our help—who _asked_ for it specifically—and I'm not about to abandon them simply because I'm tired."

To say Anakin was shocked would be the understatement of the year. Even Cody seemed taken aback by this confession.

_Why is this such a big deal? Let the man be tired for once without making a scene about it!_

Still… it was somewhat… well, _shocking_ to hear her grandmaster admit to his exhaustion. Even Obi-Wan looked surprised at his confession.

"Wow." Anakin breathed. "You actually admitted it. Call the press, General Kenobi said he's tired!"

"How I feel is irrelevant." Obi-Wan rolled his eyes, trying in vain to draw attention away from himself. "What matters is our mission—a mission we can't abandon in good conscience based solely on the way we feel. Besides, we'll all be able to get plenty of rest on the ride there."

"Oh joy," Anakin replied, his voice dry. "Fifty whole minutes to sit down."

This remark earned him a glare from Obi-Wan, but the Jedi Master made no returning comment. Instead, he turned to Cody. "My thought is this: we split both the 501st and 212th in two. That way, we'll have a large enough army to combat any potential Separatist traps, while at the same time, we won't waste any manpower on a lower-maintenance mission if the call for help turns out to be genuine."

Cody and Rex nodded in unison. Anakin only crossed his arms.

"Okay, but what will the rest of our troops do in the meantime?"

"You can send them back to Coruscant for some much needed rest, just as you wanted," Obi-Wan answered.

"Fine. But Rex and I are gonna make sure it's the most injured and exhausted that go back home."

A small grin played out across Obi-Wan's face. "I was hoping you would. Now, once the battalions are divided, we'll send them back on the _Resolute_ while we take the light cruiser to Otumni. Let's make it our goal to leave within the half-hour. Any final thoughts?"

"One," Rex said. "Are we planning on bringing a medic? Because I think Kix has his hands full right now."

"Shots does, as well," Cody added.

A low hum echoed through Obi-Wan's throat as he clasped a hand to his chin once more. "That could pose a bit of a problem."

"Well, we can't just leave the men here with only one medic," Anakin protested. "The medbay is already overloaded as it is."

"Um…" Ahsoka cleared her throat as all eyes landed on her. "I might be able to help with that."

"What do you mean, Snips?"

"Well, I'm no medic, but Kix taught me a few things after the Battle of Christophsis, saying I could use a few medical skills if a day came when he couldn't be there." She shrugged. "I guess he meant times like this."

"That's thoughtful of you," Anakin began, his tone hesitant, "but I can't let you handle medical for this mission on your own."

"Why not?" She placed defiant hands on her hips. "I'm perfectly capable of helping where I can if things get bad. Besides, he taught Jesse too. He can help me. And Master Obi-Wan,"—she turned to her grandmaster—"can't you kind of heal people with the Force?"

"I wouldn't go so far as to say _that_." Obi-Wan shifted a little, clearly trying to hide his discomfort. "I can only ease the pain and, at best, lessen the severity of the wound."

" _Which_ he won't be _doing_ on this mission," Anakin interjected and Ahsoka detected a hint of protectiveness in his manner. Locking his gaze on Obi-Wan, he continued, "You're taking a break from that stuff, remember?"

"Anakin, Lanteeb was a long time ago. I'm fine."

"Not as long ago as you think. Besides, you promised."

The sigh that escaped his lips only heightened Ahsoka's curiosity about the matter. What went down on Lanteeb that made her Master so cautious when it came to Obi-Wan's amateur healing abilities? Sure, she remembered arriving on the planet with Master Plo Koon after Anakin and Obi-Wan had foiled the Separatist siege. Her Masters had looked haggard and worn, especially Obi-Wan. When she'd asked for the details of their mission afterward, she was certain they'd only given her the sugar-coated version.

What weren't they telling her?

_Why_ weren't they telling her?

_Do they think I can't handle it? Do they not trust me enough?_

No. That couldn't be right. Anakin trusted her with his life. _He told me so himself._

"Don't get yourself all worked up," Obi-Wan calmed. "I don't intend on breaking that promise any time soon."

"You better not."

"I _won't_ , Anakin."

The uncomfortable silence that followed sent a shiver traveling down her spine.

_Come on, guys! Not another argument._

It was Rex's light cough that sliced the tension.

"I think between the two of them, Jesse and Commander Tano can handle medical for this mission. And, if worst comes to worst, General Kenobi can step in."

This time, it was Cody's clipped voice instead of Anakin's that made the protest. "He promised, Rex."

"You weren't even there!" Rex replied, cutting a sharp line through the air with his hand for emphasis.

"Neither were you!" Cody shot back.

"Yeah, but _I'm_ not the one harping on him about some promise. He's the general, for crying out loud! He can do what he wants."

Cody and Anakin's fiery eyes were on Rex in an instant, their voices ringing out in perfect unison. "But he _promised_!"

"All right!" Obi-Wan shouted. "That's enough! Ahsoka and Jesse will be our acting medical team this time around. And rest assured, I'm not one to break a promise. Now, if we're all in agreement with the plan, I suggest we start finalizing preparations for our departure. And if anyone has any more concerns about my physical health, you can jot them on a piece of paper and place them in a suggestion box!"

With that, Obi-Wan quit the room, Cody hot on his heels.

"Typical," Anakin muttered before taking his own leave, most likely heading off to assess the 501st casualties.

"Well," Rex said with a huff, "wasn't that something?"

"Yeah…" Ahsoka wrapped her arms around herself in a comforting embrace. "Yeah… Hey, thanks for backing me up with the medical thing."

"Anytime, Commander." He winked, but Ahsoka found it difficult to return his joviality.

"I don't think Master Skywalker thinks I can do it."

"Nah," Rex replied, giving her shoulder a playful nudge. "I think he's just a bit afraid, that's all."

"Of what? Afraid I'm going to mess it all up?"

"Afraid of losing you."

An unwelcome numbness paralyzed her thin frame.

_What?_

"Just like General Kenobi's afraid to lose you and the general." He paused, glancing off in the direction of the medbay. "Like I'm afraid of losing any more brothers."

"Jedi don't form attachments," she said when her voice finally decided to show itself again.

The lie tasted just as sour as the rule itself.

"Yeah, well." Rex shrugged. "Cody says otherwise."

Her nose wrinkled. "How would Cody know anything about the Jedi Code?"

_Stang!_ How she hated conversations about attachment! They were so conflicting.

"Besides being extraordinarily observant? I believe General Kenobi is a little more… open with his commander than he is with anyone else."

_Master Obi-Wan? Open?_

That couldn't be right. Master _Windu_ was more open than her grandmaster!

"My guess is it's because Cody's not a Jedi, which means he couldn't care less about the Code."

Though Rex's assumption made sense...sort of...it was still a lot to process.

He'd probably deny it all if she asked him—after all, he was the perfect Jedi—but the fact that Obi-Wan cared enough about her that he feared losing her was both comforting and confusing.

It also gave her a warm, fuzzy feeling inside.

"What do _you_ think about Jedi Code?" She inquired finally as they made their way down the hall.

"I don't know much about it, really. All I know is that I can't imagine not being allowed to rely on the love and loyalty of my brothers."

And that begged the age-old question every Jedi struggled with at least once in their life: is love synonymous with attachment?

And which of the two truly led to the Dark Side?

_What does attachment even mean?_

The word was so frowned upon in the Jedi Temple that no one really thought too deeply about what it meant or how living it would lead to the Darkside.

At least, _she_ didn't think much about it if she could help it.

But Ahsoka didn't have time to contemplate such things.

Right now, she had a mission to prep for. A mission on which she was the medic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts so far? Don't worry, the action will pick up soon. ;)


	3. Three

Anakin couldn't remember the last time he'd witnessed such high casualty rates.

Not since the First Battle of Geonosis, at least!

And that was so long ago. Back when he was a Padawan.

 _Now I'm training one of my own._ He had chuckled lightly to himself, a sound grossly out of place within the stark white walls of the _Resolute's_ medbay, where so many lay wounded or dying. _I just hope I'm not completely screwing it all up._

Though his flagship had been sent on its way back to Coruscant more than half an hour ago, his thoughts had followed him onto the light cruiser, scheduled to arrive soon on Otumni.

Too soon.

"I thought you would be getting some of that much-needed rest you fought so hard for." His Master's amused voice pierced his solemn musings. He snapped his head up, ripping his eyes away from the ground they'd previously found to be so interesting. "Not wandering aimlessly around the hangar."

"I have a bad feeling that won't let me sit down for longer than a minute," Anakin explained, his skin crawling at the very mention of said feeling. "Besides, I got a good ten minutes in when we first entered hyperspace."

"Ah yes, that's more than enough time to properly recuperate." Obi-Wan grinned, strolling over to stand at Anakin's side. "Now, tell me about this bad feeling."

Despite his former Master's enthusiasm, Anakin found it hard to smile. "I can't explain it." He clenched a fist, staring down the blur of stars shooting past as if they were to blame for his angst.

Soft, concerned blue eyes fixed themselves on Anakin. "Is it about the mission?"

"Not exactly…I just feel so… _useless,_ you know? Like there are more important things I can be doing right now. Things that could help win this war sooner so we can go back to our lives."

"Anakin, right now this war _is_ our life. The sooner you embrace that, the easier things will be."

"Yeah?" Anakin scoffed, crossing his arms tightly over his chest. "Well, maybe I don't want to embrace it. Not if it means I have to lose another hundred of my troops."

He felt Obi-Wan stiffen beside him. "One hundred?"

Anakin could only nod.

"I wasn't aware that the 501st had lost so many…" Obi-Wan stroked his beard, eyebrows knitted in deep thought. "You're sure of the numbers?"

"Positive. In fact, I might be missing a few."

A moment of silence, the tense kind Anaking detested. And then:

"I'm sorry, Anakin."

"Yeah…" he sighed. "Me too."

"Is there anything else on your mind?"

_Millions of things… all swirling around in a mass of chaos._

Aloud, he said, "Just Ahsoka."

"Ahsoka?"

"I don't like the idea of her heading the medical team for this mission."

There, he'd said it. He only wished he could express his concerns to her face.

But then she would complain about him not trusting her enough with the big things, the things that mattered. And she _was_ the only one who could help.

_Force knows I'm not gonna let Obi-Wan do it. Not after he nearly killed himself overdoing it on Lanteeb._

A small huff escaped his friend's mouth. "If it's any consolation, neither do I."

Anakin forced himself not to balk. "You're kidding. It was you who made the final decision to let her! Now you're telling me you _agree_ with my hesitations?"

"You'd be surprised how many things I let happen that I wish with all my heart I could prevent. But I learned long ago not to be selfish and hold a Padawan back from a learning experience, much as I might dislike what I'm about to let them do."

"Okay," Anakin said with a grin, glancing at his Master, "how many times did you have to forcibly hold yourself back while I went out and did something dangerous? Come on, how many times?"

"Who says I was ever talking about you?" A similar grin tugged at Obi-Wan's lips. "But… it happened more times than I can count. In fact, I _stopped_ counting long ago, which is a good thing, I suppose, because I find I still have to curb the same urges today."

"Come on, Obi-Wan. I'm not a Padawan anymore."

"So you've said, but that doesn't mean I worry any less."

"Well, if it's any consolation..." Though Anakin smirked, his eyes betrayed a strong, genuine emotion, "so do I."

"Oh please, I'm hardly worth worrying about."

"Oh please," Anakin mimicked, turning back to the endless stream of stars, "do you really think I believe that?"

_Don't sell yourself short, Obi-Wan. You're worth more than ten Jedi put together._

Clearing his throat, making a vain effort to hide his discomfort, Obi-Wan fixed his own gaze on the viewscreen. "Well, then, let's worry about her together, shall we?"

"Sure."

"Without letting our concern restrain her."

"That's not gonna be easy."

"I never said it would be." Anakin felt the warmth of Obi-Wan's palm seep through his sleeve and onto his shoulder. "Ahsoka has more strength and determination hidden inside than we often give her credit for. I think she deserves this chance to make you proud."

"I already am."

"Then the only thing left to do is make certain she knows it, and then put the matter to rest."

Anakin nodded. "Hey, do you think I'll have to wait until I'm as ancient as you are in order to be so wise?"

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. "Anakin, _Ahsoka_ is wiser than you."

"Hey! I resent that."

"Good. Serves you right for calling me ancient."

"I just call them as I see them, Master."

"Next time, do it silently. You'll save me a headache."

A laugh finally made its way out of Anakin's throat. "I'll try, but I can't make any promises."

"Now, I need a painkiller."

"Funny, I thought you were gonna say you need a drink."

"There's no time for that." Obi-Wan checked the chrono on the control panel. "We'll be pulling out of hyperspace in less than ten minutes."

"Right. I'm going to go prep the men for landing, then."

"Don't forget what I said about Ahsoka," Obi-Wan reminded as Anakin began making his exit.

"Yeah, I'll tell her. Don't worry. Oh wait, that's impossible for you." He knocked his palm against his forehead. "I totally forgot."

"Ha. Ha. You're quite hilarious."

"Aren't I?"

"Now Ineed _two_ painkillers," Obi-Wan muttered, turning his attention to the clone troopers manning the controls. "The call came from the planet's mountain regions, about one hundred klicks from the capital."

Anakin shook his head, grinning wildly at his own antics.

Now. To find his Padawan and bestow some long-withheld praise…

* * *

"That should be the last of it." Ahsoka swiped a hand across her brow and shot Jesse a grin. "Honestly, I don't know how Kix does it."

"He only carries one bag with him, sir," the bald trooper replied, surveying the freshly loaded gunship. "The rest of the medical supplies are usually loaded well beforehand."

"Oh. Well, I guess we'll do that next time instead of just finishing up as we enter atmosphere."

"Whatever you say, sir."

She worked hard to suppress a squeal. Jedi don't squeal.

Especially not in front of their troops.

But she was just so excited! Her dark orange skin practically glowed with joy.

_Imagine… a mission where_ _**I'm** _ _the medic!_

Of course, there probably wouldn't even _be_ a battle, if she was thinking realistically.

Still…

She clapped her hands together. "Well, are you ready?"

To her surprise, Jesse grimaced. "As I'll ever be, I suppose."

"Come on! We can do this!"

"If you say so."

_Aren't you even the least bit excited?_

"To go rushing into a battle with limited medical knowledge, hoping my lack of experience doesn't kill one of my brothers?" Jess shook his head. "I can get excited about a lot of things, Commander, but not that."

Oops. She hadn't meant to say that out loud. She was just so…

_Stang! He has a point. What if… what if I can't do this? What if Master Obi-Wan has to step in and fix my mistakes? Skyguy definitely wouldn't be happy about that…_

"Hey," she said gently, placing a hand on the trooper's arm, "we'll be fine. There probably won't even be a battle. And if there is, we'll handle it together. I can't do this without you, Jesse."

He offered her a small smile. "Thanks, Commander."

"I mean it, I—"

Anakin's voice echoed across the hangar. "There's my medical team! All ready for landing?"

"Yes, Master," she replied with a short nod.

_Don't say it! Don't you dare say it, Skyguy. Master Obi-Wan said I can be the medic on this mission. I know you're don't think I can—_

"Well done." Anakin crossed his arms with a smile. "Although, I shouldn't be surprised. After all, I have two of the best members of my team on medical this time around. I should've known you'd get things done."

To say she was shocked was the understatement of the year—possibly the decade.

_Skyguy…?_

"Hey, whatever happens out there, all my faith is placed in you two." He shrugged. "I just wanted to make sure you knew that."

"Thank you, General," Jesse responded, giving Anakin a quick salute.

Ahsoka was still too numb to reply.

 _He has faith in me?_ Well, of course, she knew that. But… _He thinks I can do this? Earlier he argued against it!_

_He believes in me…_

"Master, I…" She smiled up at him. "Thank you."

He winked. "Just don't ever forget it, Snips."

Oh, she wouldn't. Never in a million years would she forget her Master's words of praise.

His confidence in her abilities not only as a Jedi Padawan but as a living being.

And his confidence in her strengthened her confidence in herself.

_I won't forget, Master. Thank you._

_Thank you._


	4. Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fives POV! :)

"Remind me why we're here again?"

Fives gave his general a half-hearted shrug. "Because some idiot asked for help."

"Fives!" Rex hissed, coming up beside the two.

"Then where the heck are they?" General Skywalker exclaimed, not seeming to notice—or care about—the ARC trooper's remark. "We've been wandering aimlessly for hours."

"With absolutely nothing to show for it," Fives added.

"I'm sure we'll find them soon," Rex assured, though Fives noticed his friend's lack of confidence. "Whoever they are."

"Let's just hope Obi-Wan is having better luck than we are." Anakin smirked. "Who knows? Maybe they already found the problem and fixed it without us even having to do anything."

"That's one way of looking at it, sir," Rex replied. "Even if it's a bit far fetched."

As Anakin shrugged, Fives pulled out his macrobinoculars, preparing to take another scan of the horizon.

"I'm not seeing anyone, sir," he remarked, his scopes still fixed on the vast mountainous landscape surrounding them. "No animals, no people. Nothing but rocks and dirt."

"Yeah," he heard the general sigh. "I didn't think you would."

"What does this mean for this mission, General?" Rex inquired.

"It means there _isn't_ any mission. Not anymore."

"Shouldn't we at least keep looking?" Though Fives kept his eyes glued to the macrobinoculars, he recognized Tup's voice entering the disheartening conversation. "For just a little while longer? Maybe check in with the 212th to see if they found anything?"

Another sigh from Anakin echoed off the towering mountain walls. A few quick beeps, and then: "Anything on your end Obi-Wan? Because we're getting nothing out here."

The familiar accented voice of the 212st's general filtered through Anakin's commlink. "Not much so far. Cody is returning to the gunships with some of the others to set up camp for the night. I'm sending you the coordinates now."

"So, are we gonna call this thing off or what?"

"Anakin, we've barely scratched the surface of this area alone."

"Look, there's no one here. If there was, don't you think they would be trying to find _us_? After all, they called _us_ for help. Why would they be hiding away somewhere?"

"Perhaps they can't get to us."

" _Perhaps_ they were never here in the first place, which means this whole thing is one big trap."

"Now, let's not jump to conclusions—"

"And let's not walk into another massacre, either." Another sigh. "Look, I say we contact the light cruiser and wrap this thing up…"

A low growl ripped Fives' attention away from the two generals' exchange and he lowered his scopes. He glanced at Tup, who only shrugged.

_Was that a "yeah, I heard it too" or his reaction to the conversation?_

Though the sound was distant, it was unmistakably threatening. And it was coming from off to the left…

He lifted his scopes again and did another scan. Another _slow_ scan of the horizon.

Nothing. Probably just a trick of the ears.

_But I was sure I heard—_

There it was again. This time, there was no room for second-guessing.

"General Skywalker, did you hea—"

"Hold on, Fives. What was that, Obi-Wan? You're breaking up."

"I...said...having...troub...raise...cruiser. An...kin...you...hear me?"

"Obi-Wan, I can't—" the general flicked the small machine on his wrist with his fingers. As if _that_ would do any good. "Obi-Wan? Obi-Wan! Stang!" With exasperation framing his youthful face, Anakin turned towards his troops. "I lost him. Rex, see if you can raise the light cruiser."

"General Skywalker," Fives tried again. "Sir, did you hear that sound?"

"What? What sound? Just...hold on a second, okay? Anything, Rex?"

"Negative, sir. It's almost as if someone is blocking our communications."

"Stang! Try Cody. Maybe it was just Obi-Wan's comm that isn't—"

"No answer, sir. Just static."

A third growl drove itself up Fives' spine.

_Either that thing out has more than one vocal chord, or he has a friend with him._

"Did you hear it too," Tup whispered and Fives noticed several other brothers were shifting nervously, hands lingering close to their blasters.

"Yeah. Did you see it?"

Tup shook his head. "That's what has me worried."

"I'm sure we'll be fine. Just keep your eyes open."

His heart rate slowly climbing, he wrapped his hand around his own blaster, savoring the feel of the smooth, reassuring surface.

Anakin let out a string of curses in some language Fives wasn't familiar with. "I knew this was some sort of trap!"

"Sir," Rex calmed, "it could just be our location."

The hairs on the back of Fives' neck prickled and he became all-too-aware of a nearby rustling sound.

"General…"

Thoroughly irritated at everyone and everything, Anakin spun around. "What—? Fives! Look out!"

An unnatural sensation seemed to grab hold of the ARC trooper, forcing him and Tup onto the ground. A nanosecond later, the buzz of a lightsaber igniting filled his ears as a strong gust of wind brushed over the top of him.

Then came the roar, an awful, screeching sound that nearly burst Fives' eardrums.

All hell broke loose after that.

Blasters fired on repeat, trying desperately to subdue two giant, furry creatures with long tails.

"Fives!" Tup shouted above the chaos. "Get moving! We're in the danger zone!"

Sure enough, as the private pulled Fives to his feet, he found himself standing in the direct line of fire. A hard yank nearly pulled his arm out of its socket and he went flying off to the side.

"Where did these things come from?" He heard the general yell, lightsaber humming.

"I don't know!" Fives called back. "But I think they've worn out their welcome!"

Blaster pistols in hand, he pummeled the nearest beast with flaming red bolts. It didn't take long to realize his efforts were in vain—the shots weren't even making a dent in the creature's furry armor.

"Fall back!" Rex called from somewhere beyond.

_Don't have to tell me twice!_

Still facing the beast, blasters raging, Fives began to back away as quickly as possible.

Brothers were dropping like flies as the beasts mulled them over with massive claws or swept them off their feet with giant tails.

A sickening crunch echoed against Fives's eardrums and he whipped his head around. The second he did, he wished with all his soul he _hadn't._

One of the creatures had a brother locked between its bloodstained teeth, which began to dig mercilessly through layers or armor and cloth to reach the desired layer of flesh.

Fives' stomach turned and he pointed both blasters at the monster, trying desperately to free the trooper.

Nothing.

_We're like nothing to these things. Like nanodroids to a gundark!_

"Fall back!" Rex cried once more, and this time, Fives' spun on his heel and took off after his captain. From somewhere behind, he heard the buzz of the general's lightsaber, slicing viciously at the beasts.

Tup ran up beside Fives. "There's no way we can lose these things!"

"Can't kill them either," Fives replied.

_By running away, are we just putting off the inevitable?_

A shiver ran down his spine and he pressed forward. Another sharp slicing sound pierced the, followed by a pain-soaked shriek.

_Please let that have been one of the beasts. Please…_

Fives almost let himself take a glance behind, but such an action would only slow his forward momentum. And Rex had given strict orders to fall back…

"Keep going!" Anakin's harsh command filled the air. "Don't stop!"

_Right._ _You don't have to tell me twice._

Still…

He had to know. He had to _see_. How many brothers had they lost? How many—?

Nausea washed over him in cruel waves the moment he craned his neck around. The ground was littered with brothers, some of whom were hardly recognizable anymore.

_You shouldn't have looked! You shouldn't have—_

All those fallen brothers… So much death.

_Why is there always so much_ _**death?** _


	5. Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This quick chapter update is for Luv2write. ;) Thanks for all your support!

Anakin had been right, blast it!

_And I hadn't listened. Why don't I ever listen?_

With a frown, Obi-Wan glanced at his commander. "You're sure of this?"

"No doubt about it, sir." Cody shook his head and gave the commhub an aggravated flick. "There's a Separatist fleet up there and they've successfully jammed our communications."

"Blast!" He let out a long sigh. "I'll tell you, Cody, this war is really testing my faith in the good of humanity. Five years ago—perhaps even three—there wouldn't have been any doubt that a call for help such as this was genuine. Now, it's a constant gamble."

"I only wish I could've seen an era like that, General."

Obi-Wan offered him a feeble smile. "You will. When this is all over, you will, Cody. But for now, we need to work on putting together a plan to get past that blockade."

"Right. Well, I have some ideas—"

"Obi-Wan!"

Anakin's distressed cry rang loud and clear throughout the small camp, which wasn't much more than a couple of gunships and a scattered collection of supplies.

"There you are. It's about ti—"

Something was wrong. Depression and fear bled off the staggering troops into the Force, saturating Obi-Wan's already disheartened spirit. "What happened?"

The young Knight simply shook his head, chest heaving as he fought to catch a breath. Every last one of the 501st from captain to private seemed to be plagued with the same condition… at least, what was left of them.

Cody cursed under his breath before jogging over to Rex, who balanced another clone trooper against his side.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan breathed, unable to tear his gaze from the ragged group, "what—?"

"I don't know." Weary and worried, his former apprentice shook his head. "I've never seen anything like it. Huge beasts like a nexu, but bigger, attacked us out of nowhere." A sigh brushed past his lips. "We didn't stand a chance."

"Oh, Anakin…" Obi-Wan wiped a tired hand over his face before carding it though his auburn hair. "I'm so sorry."

"Yeah. I am, too." Clenching a fist, Anakin brushed past his Master. "Whatever they were, they're no doubt native to this planet, or this region, at least. We've got to get back to the light cruiser and regroup before they come back."

"Yes, about that…"

"What?" Slowly, Anakin turned back around. "Obi-Wan…?"

"It appears you were right." _Blast it!_ "We've not only been deceived, but locked down here by a Separatist blockade. I doubt the cruiser is even still up there. With any luck, they've gone back to Coruscant for reinforcements."

"The way our luck's been going, they probably got blasted out of the sky." In a flash, Anakin sent his boot sailing into the commhub. "Great! This is just _great_! Our comms are jammed, our army's been cut to nearly half its original size, and we're trapped on a planet with poisonous, man-eating monsters!"

Obi-Wan was instantly alert. "Poison?"

"Yeah. How do you think I lost so many men? It's in their teeth or something. Might even be in their tails, too. Rex and I'll update the 212th on these creatures as soon as we figure out what we're doing. So…" Anakin eyed him expectantly. "What _are_ we doing? What's the plan?"

"Nothing as of yet. Cody has a few ideas, but I believe he's helping Rex out right now."

"Well, that's reassuring." He could almost _see_ the sarcasm dripping from Anakin's words. "Where's Ahsoka?"

With a slight nod of his head, Obi-Wan gestured towards the main gunship. "Boil wrenched his wrist. She's treating it the best she can." He smiled grimly. "I suppose you could say it's her first injury."

Anakin nodded. "Well, we're going to need her out here soon. I have a lot more wounds over there for her to dress."

"Why don't you go fetch her while I assess the damage?" Obi-Wan offered. The only response he received was a raised eyebrow. "Don't worry, I'm not going to try anything. I would, however, like to know the current state of our army."

"Just keep your hands to yourself, okay?"

He lifted said hands in defense. "I won't even wrap a single bandage."

"You'd better not," Anakin warned. "I'll be right back."

Honestly, sometimes the fuss everyone made about his physical health was absurd. Too much to handle!

_This is war; people get hurt. Why should I be excluded?_

With his personal temple guard safely out of the way, Obi-Wan started towards the haggard group of troopers.

_Now, let's see what sort of healing trance is necessary to extract poison…_

After all, what Anakin didn't know wouldn't hurt any of them.

And it would certainly do a few ailing troopers some long-overdue good.

* * *

Ahsoka swiped a hand over her brow, discarding the unwanted beads of sweat on her pant leg. Even after they'd all packed up and loaded into the gunships for relocation, her duties as a medic hasn't ceased.

Not that she was complaining about the work, mind you. She was happy to help as many injured clones as she could—though she found her respect for Kix had risen quite high.

_How he manages to do this after_ _**every** _ _battle is just… heroic._

Heroic. There was no other word for it.

No, it was the heat that was slowing her down, not the number of clones who still needed treatment.

The heat and the claustrophobia.

She'd never been claustrophobic before, but after several hours of kneeling on a gunship floor amidst the wounded, while everyone who could stand towered over her… Well, it made the open battlefield seem like a paradise.

The trooper she was working on let out a low moan. She quickly released her light hold on his arm, having just finished bandaging the shredded flesh.

"Do you need a sedative?" Stang! How she hated to see them all hurting like this!

Ever so slightly, he shook his head. "Don't wanna be…anymore out...of it than...than I already am, s-sir."

She nodded, her lips pulled tightly into a grim smile. "Just let me know if you change your mind."

A single head bob was all she received in reply.

With a stretch that shot sharp bolts of pain through her calves, Ahsoka stood, taking a moment to survey the floor of the gunship. Crowded and caked with dirt, the floor wasn't her ideal medbay, but it was the only one she had, so it would have to do.

"How's it going, Snips?" Her Master's voice betrayed more than a hint of exhaustion.

"All right, I guess." She frowned. "We're running low on bacta, though."

"Maybe Jesse has some you can borrow. We'll ask him when we land."

"When do you think that might be?"

She didn't quite like the dark expression that clouded his face. "When we run out of fuel."

_What?_ Since when did _that_ happen?

_Since flying a gunship for longer than an hour…_

When she thought about it, she hadn't ever spent more than an hour in one of the GAR's main planetside transports.

"You mean—"

"I _mean_ ," Anakin interrupted, and she had to remind herself that his irritation wasn't directed towards her, "that we're running low on fuel with no plan of action and no way to communicate with each other."

"I thought we were trying to reach the nearest city?" Had Obi-Wan's plan not been clear to him?

"Yeah." Anakin scoffed, "Some plan. The chances of any other comm station working on this planet is next to none."

"Next to none is still more than nothing, right, Skyguy?"

As she'd hoped, he gave her a little smile. "What would I do without you, Ahsoka?"

She smirked. "Well, you wouldn't be as awesome without me, that's for sure."

"Hey! I've been awesome since before you were born."

"Just keep telling yourself that, Master, if it makes you feel better."

"It does, thank you."

With a roll of her eyes, Ahsoka bent down to tend the next trooper. A quick damage assessment revealed only minor cuts and bruises.

"I'm just going to wrap your hand," she explained softly. "I don't think it needs a batca patch right now, but we'll keep an eye out for infection."

"Don't worry about me, Commander," the private replied. "I'll be fine."

"Still, we need to clean that cut."

While the protests continued, Ahsoka made quick work of the wound. "There. Just let me know if you experience any more pain."

Smirking, the trooper remarked, "At this rate, you're gonna put Kix out of a job."

"Don't worry, he is _more_ than welcome to take his job back once this is all over."

_Once this is all over_ …

How much longer until they ran out of fuel? Would they reach the city before that happened?

How many clones would really be able to walk the rest of the way if they didn't?"

_I wish we could contact Master Obi-Wan._ She needed his calm optimism to bury her fears. Sometimes, it was hard being the only optimistic one in the ship.

Obi-Wan was most likely dealing with his own problems, however, and didn't need to be plagued with hers as well. She'd noticed the subtle way he had begun healing some of the injured troops, and she was beyond grateful Skyguy hadn't caught on.

_He's a tricky one, all right._ And for that, she was also grateful. His efforts had saved several lives, and she didn't doubt he was continuing to care for the wounded in one of the other gunships, with Jesse tending the rest of the 501st in the third ship.

A quick jolt sent her stumbling into her next patient. "Sorry! Sorry—!"

"Stang!" Anakin's curse silenced the entire ship. "I thought we were gonna make it. I _hoped_ —"

Another jolt followed by a shudder and the ship began to descend.

"I'm sure they pushed her to the very last drop, General," Rex consoled, grabbing tightly onto the nearest handle.

Before Ahsoka could fumble for a hold somewhere, a hand wrapped around her bicep and pulled her to her feet.

"Thanks, Rex," she said, offering her brightest smile.

"Anytime, Commander." Though she couldn't see his face, his voice winked at her.

Still smiling, she turned to Anakin. "What's the plan now, Skyguy?"

"Why don't we go meet up with Obi-Wan and find out?"

With that, the doors opened, the sudden brightness giving Ahsoka a throbbing headache. Or was that just an after-effect of overworking and claustrophobia?

Whatever the case, she paused a moment at the threshold, waiting somewhat impatiently for her eyes to adjust. It was at times like this when she wondered if a helmet might come in handy. Rex always seemed able to move from light to dark with ease.

_Maybe it's just me._

Shrugging to herself, she bounded after her Master, who had joined Obi-Wan in front of his gunship.

"Are you out of fuel, too?" He was asking when she caught up to him.

"Surprisingly, no," Obi-Wan responded.

"Then why did you land?"

An amused expression took hold of her grandmaster's face. "Should I have kept going without you?"

"All right, point made. The real question is:" Anakin crossed his arms, "what are we going to do now?"

"Cody and I were already taking that into consideration. Our best bet is to transfer all the remaining fuel into one gunship."

"In case you haven't noticed, we won't all _fit_ in one gunship."

"I wasn't finished." Anakin withered under the look Obi-Wan shot his way. "Anyway, by doing this, we can send a team to the nearest city. There, they can follow through with the original plan and try to get a message past the blockade. If this can't be achieved, they'll return and we can come up with a new plan of action."

Anakin nodded. "Good plan."

"Why, thank you," Obi-Wan replied with a nod. "But?"

"Well, we can't exactly just _stay_ here. What if those monsters come back?"

"Anakin, we're miles away from where your men got attacked."

"Yeah, but those things are native to this planet. I'd place every credit I own in a bet that they'll sniff us out if we just sit here."

"That doesn't sound like a very profitable bet, seeing as you're not exactly the wealthiest Jedi in the temple."

"Hey, we're not here to discuss my spending habits. We're here to—You know what? Why _are_ we here?"

"Anakin, we've been through this already."

"I didn't like the answer then and I'm sure I won't now."

"Then stop asking, why don't you?"

"Hey, hey!" Ahsoka held her hands up, deciding it was high time to break up the argument. "It doesn't matter why we're here. What's done is done. Now, we have to focus on getting _out_ of here. Okay?"

Obi-Wan sent a smile flashing her way. "When did your Padawan become so wise, Anakin?"

"It might come as a shock to you, Master, but I've been known to possess a decent pool of wisdom."

Obi-Wan only raised an eyebrow. "Since when?"

"Since I got a Padawan of my own."

"Well, with any luck, she'll turn out better than you did."

"Haha. Funny. _Real_ funny."

"Oh, Anakin, you know I'm only kidding. You turned out just fine."

"See? Now I _know_ you're lying."

Ahsoka rolled her eyes. Sometimes, she forgot how much Anakin liked to play the victim when he was in a bad mood.

And she couldn't remember him being in a _good_ mood since they'd landed on Otumni.

"Sir!" Rex called as he jogged over to the group.

"What's wrong?" Anakin asked, worry lacing his voice. "What happened?"

"Nothing, General. The men are just a bit… concerned. They're wondering what the plan is and if we're going to get a move on before… those things come back."

"Obi-Wan was just about to fill everyone in on the new plan. But before he does, I want to add something to it. Rex, find a couple of others who will help you take a headcount. I want to know how many of the men can walk on their own, and how many have injuries that could keep them grounded."

"I'm on it, sir." With a salute, Rex left to complete his task.

"Master," Ahsoka began, her brows furrowing, "what will happen to the ones who can walk?"

"Don't worry, Snips." Anakin grinned down at her. "They'll be okay. I was thinking we could let them ride along with the city team."

"I agree," Obi-Wan said. "It's our best option."

"It's our _only_ option."

"Don't worry, Anakin." As Obi-Wan placed a hand on her Master's shoulder, her skin tingled, longing for the comforting touch of her grandmaster. "We've been in worse situations. There's always a way out."

"Yeah, I know." Pain flashed across Anakin's face for just a split second, vanishing before Ahsoka could say anything. "I'm gonna go help Rex."

As he hurried away, she made sure to send feelings of reassurance after him through the Force.

_It's not your fault, Skyguy. You're not responsible for all those deaths._

_You're not responsible…_


	6. Six

They just couldn't understand.

_Until you lose half your battalion to a bloodthirsty beast, Obi-Wan, you'll never understand._

Though he knew it was horrible, he found himself wishing that something similar would happen to Obi-Wan in order that he might understand.

_I just need him to understand!_

He doubted even Ahsoka understood the depth of his inner turmoil. She'd probably try to tell him that it wasn't his fault.

_But it was! It_ _**is!** _

They were _his_ men, _his_ soldiers. _He_ was responsible for their well-being.

_They didn't even die in battle. Instead, they were brutally slaughtered by… What_ _**were** _ _those things?_

He glanced sideways at Rex, taking a moment to feed his own heavy heart with the torment radiating off his captain into the Force.

_Rex understands. He knows what it feels like to fail in this way._

It wasn't as though he _wanted_ his friend to battle such feelings alongside him, and he would do anything to take the burden as his own if he could, but—

_Admit it. You're_ _**glad** _ _Rex shares your guilt. You're_ _**glad** _ _you don't have to fight these feelings alone._

Yeah. Yeah, he was glad, all right. And he _hated_ himself for it.

"You holding up okay, Rex?"

The captain turned his head slightly, all emotion buried beneath a blue, tally-marked helmet. "I'm all right, General. It's the men I'm concerned about. Some of them are falling behind."

"Obi-Wan is bringing up the rear with Ahsoka. He won't let anyone get left behind."

Rex only nodded, fixing his gaze ahead once more.

Another minute passed before Anakin worked up the courage to say what he'd originally intended to. "It won't happen again, you know."

"Sir?"

"The attack." Anakin clenched a fist, savoring the way his nails dug into his only flesh-and-blood hand. "Those monsters. Everyone is on alert now, which will make it harder for them to get the jump on us again."

"It's been a while since I've come across a man-eating beast."

There was a strange hint of… something in Rex's tone. Guilt? Regret?

Shame.

_But where is it coming from?_

"It wasn't our fault, Rex."

"Do you really believe that, sir?"

Biting his lying tongue, Anakin stared down the lush landscape ahead. How dare it be so beautiful when his soul was so ugly?

"No. I don't believe it. But that doesn't mean it isn't true."

Another silent nod.

_Stang!_

Obi-Wan was right, vape it. He's always made it clear that it is nearly impossible to convince someone of something you didn't even believe yourself, no matter how true the fact.

_Are you happy now, Master? Your lesson has finally made it in through my thick skull._

But it was more than that. Anakin had the sickening feeling that Rex's shame and anguish stemmed from something more than the loss of so many of his men to those beasts.

From some unhealed wound that this most recent massacre had scratched open.

And Anakin was just itching to know what it was.

But he couldn't just _ask_. That would be like Obi-Wan asking him out of the blue what went down on Tatooine all those years ago.

_That's one night I'll never get back._

_One massacre I'll never forget…_

Squeezing his eyes shut was the only way to block out the memory—echoes of the screams, visions of those tiny Tusken Raiders scrambling in terror… fragmented feelings of his own blinding rage.

_No! Stop! Sto—_

A hoarse cry followed by intense blaster fire jump-started Anakin's heart.

Snapping his eyes open, he spun around only to come face-to-face with a swirling sea of orange and blue armor. The distance between the two ends of their parade of troops hadn't seemed long enough when Anakin was mourning the loss of his men.

But now…

_Now, will I be able to close the gap between me and those beasts fast enough?_

Green and blue lightsabers blended together in the distance, creating an aura of frantic defense.

_I've gotta move! I've got to—_

"Do you see any more of them, Rex?"

"Not up here, sir. Just those three back there."

"All right, stay with the men and work with Jesse to get the wounded to safety. Fives!" The ARC trooper seemed to materialize beside him. "Get every man who can fight and join me along the 212th's right flank."

"Yes, sir!" Fives saluted before dashing off into the fray.

 _ **Obi-Wan?**_ Anakin called out through their Force bond. His anxiety only heightened in the time it took his Master to reply.

_**I'm a little busy right now, Anakin.** _

Stress, annoyance—and was that _fear_?—flooded through the bond.

 _ **I've got a plan to get these things off our backs once and for all.**_ When he didn't receive a reply, Anakin continued, _**Fives and I are rounding up a group to circle your right flank and take one of them by surprise.**_

Finally, he heard from Obi-Wan, who sounded even more stressed than before. _**I don't think these creatures are very easily surprised.**_

_**It doesn't hurt to try. There aren't many ways to take these things down. Remember, they're backs are nearly impenetrable. I was only able to kill on by going for its neck.** _

_**It's not a fact they're letting me forget.** _

A grim smirk stretched Anakin's lips as he pressed forward, making for the flank.

_Hold on, Obi-Wan. I'm coming._

* * *

They were taking everything from him.

In a single minute—the time it takes to accomplish such menial tasks as putting on one's boots—those monsters had poisoned or shredded half of his army.

_I wasn't quick enough. Why am I_ _**never** _ _quick enough?_

"Cody! Fall back! Everyone fall _back!_ "

"This is our fight too, sir!" The commander shouted over the chaos.

_But I don't want you to die! Don't you understand?_

"Crys! Boil!" Obi-Wan called instead of repeating his orders to Cody. "Get the wounded out of here!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Sure, General!"

_Just get out! Get everyone_ _**out!** _

"Master!" This time it was Ahsoka's voice that pierced the air. "I've got one cornered!"

That was his cue. With a swift precision possessed only by the Jedi, Obi-Wan flung himself into a backward flip, landing on top of the fenced-in beast and quickly slitting its throat.

"Nice work," he told Ahsoka.

"Me? _You_ were the one who finished it off!"

"As much as I am enjoying this lovely banter, we still have two more creatures to take down."

"Yes, Master. I'm on it!"

"Good." As Ahsoka jockeyed for a position near the other animal, Obi-Wan flipped off the carcass and back over to Cody.

_Keep him safe! Keep them all_ _**safe!** _

But he'd already failed in that, hadn't he? Just like he had failed to protect his Master more than ten years ago in Theed…

_No! Don't think about that! Focus on the present, not the past._

_The present—_

"Obi-Wan! Get down!"

The Jedi Master was on his knees before he could even comprehend that it was Anakin's voice that commanded him.

_Anakin!_

No more than a second later, a spinning hum of a lightsaber swooshed past Obi-Wan overhead, nearly singeing his hair. With a sharp _whack_ , the saber's journey came to an end.

A glance up and around revealed Anakin's blazing blue weapon embedded deep within the folds of the monster's neck.

The monster that had been about to pounce on Obi-Wan from behind.

"Do I always have to save your skin, old man?"

Obi-Wan's smirk was only half-hearted. "All right, let's get this over with. How many times is this?"

"I think this is at least the fifth time I've saved your life," Anakin replied, strolling far too casually through the chaotic scene.

"That many already? I find that hard to believe."

"Believe it, Master, because once this is over, I'll have more time to think when it's quiet. Who knows? There are probably a few instances I'm forgetting."

With a wink, Anakin rushed back into battle.

_One more. Just one more. But where—_

Cody.

_No…_

He wouldn't be able to reach the trooper in time. He was too far.

_Why am I always too far away?_

In a surge of panic, Obi-Wan reached out with the Force, gathering it around the snarling beast leaping towards his friend.

And the beast stopped, hovering in mid-air, its bloody claws mere inches from the commander's face.

_The last thing Cody needs is another scar._

With a wave of anger he hadn't felt since Dooku had sliced off his Padawan's arm, Obi-Wan flung the beast into the ground several yards away.

Howling in pain, the creature scampered away, no doubt retreating back into the nearby mountains.

A sigh escaped Obi-Wan's lungs as Cody saluted him from afar.

"Is it over?" Ahsoka asked, jogging over to him. "Did we win?"

"This wasn't a win or lose battle, Snips," Anakin replied when he joined the two. "It was just survival."

"Well, at least on _that_ we can agree," Obi-Wan remarked, clipping his lightsaber to his belt. "Though I'm still not convinced you have the correct number."

"What? Five? You're right, I think I've saved you more times than that…"

A low moan enveloped the trio, bringing them back to the terrible present.

"Ahsoka," Obi-Wan began, his tone every inch that of a general, "find Jesse and start tending to the wounded. We need to save as many troopers as we can."

"Yes, Master Obi-Wan," she responded, nodding gravely.

"Obi-Wan…" Anakin hesitated a moment, watching Ahsoka dash off to find her partner. "I'm so sorry."

A grim aura of deja vu settled over Obi-Wan. "I know. I am too."

Anakin winced. "I'm not just sorry about the troops…" Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow, prompting him to continue.

"I…" his former Padawan sighed. "Earlier, I wanted so badly for you to feel the pain _I_ was feeling that I… I wished that these beasts would attack the 212th like they did the 501st."

The shock washed over him in waves. _What?_

"I realize how wrong such thoughts were," Anakin went on, his tone the epitome of grief and guilt, "and I never should have thought them. It was so wrong, so _awful_ of me to wish such pain on you just because I so desperately wanted your understanding."

For a moment, Obi-Wan couldn't find his voice. How does one even respond to such a confession?

"Will you forgive me? I don't think I could live with myself for the rest of this mission if you didn't."

"Oh, Anakin," Obi-Wan sighed, cupping a hand to his beard. "Of course, I forgive you. And I appreciate your willingness to confess your feelings to me. But I already understood how you were feeling before any of this happened. Don't forget, we've both lost our own share of troops to this war."

Anakin's eyes fell to the grassy floor. "Yeah, I know. I just… have a hard time remembering that when…"

"When you let your emotions get the best of you?" Anakin nodded. "That's the thing about this war, Anakin, we can't let our emotions drive us, lest we let them make us reckless. And we can't afford to be reckless, especially not now, of all times."

Another nod, though shorter this time.

"I'm gonna avenge them, you know," Anakin whispered after a few seconds.

"What?"

"The 501st and the 212th. I'm going to take a search party to find and kill that last monster. With or without your permission."

"I suppose I can't stop you even if I wanted to," Obi-Wan admitted and Anakin's eyes brightened. "I hate to say it, but I want those things dead as much as you do, perhaps more. Besides, if you do end up getting this last one, it might discourage any future attacks."

Anakin clapped him on the shoulder. "I knew you'd see it my way."

Obi-Wan merely nodded. "Take Ahsoka with you. Three lightsabers are better than one."

"I'm bringing Rex as well. Who knows?" He shrugged. "A blaster might come in handy at the last minute."

"Just be careful."

"When have I ever _not_ been careful?"

"Oh, only for most of your twenty-two years in this galaxy."

"That was a low blow, but I can't argue with it." With a salute, Anakin departed to find Ahsoka and Rex.

 _Now…_ Obi-Wan turned to survey the bloody smattered field. _How many men can I heal before Cody catches onto me…?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any guesses as to what might happen next? 
> 
> And did anyone get the Umbara arc reference? ;) When Rex talked about the man-eating beast?


	7. Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This big moment you’ve all been waiting for... ;) *grins evilly*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! So I’ve figured I would do a posting schedule since I’ll be busy working on NaNoWriNo and I’ll need some form of structure to keep me from forgetting to post. XD So, I’ve decided to update every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. :)

" _My apologies, young one. I believe it's time for a proper introduction."_

_She liked this Jedi Master, the one with the handsome auburn beard and that jovial smile. He was nice and she felt safe around him, somehow. Like he wouldn't ever let her get hurt if he could help it._

_Like he wouldn't ever exclude her._

" _I'm the new Padawan learner." She smiled up at the Jedi duo. "I'm Ahsoka Tano."_

" _I'm Obi-Wan Kenobi," he returned, "your new Master."_

_**What?** _

_No, that wasn't right… And why was Master Skywalker smirking at them like that?_

_**Why does he have to be so intolerable?** _

" _I'm at your service, Master Kenobi," she began hesitantly, "but I'm afraid I've actually been assigned to Master Skywalker…"_

" _What?!" the Jedi in question jumped back, shock clearly written across his face._

_As for Master Kenobi, he just stood there grinning._

" _No, no, no," Master Skywalker continued, a nervous chuckle mixing with his frantic tone. "There must be some mistake._ _ **He's**_ _the one who wanted the Padawan."_

_She crossed her arms in defiance, not even waiting a second before replying, "No! Master Yoda was very specific!"_

_**Don't sound so desperate! You're going to turn him off even more!** _

" _I'm assigned to Anakin Skywalker and he's to supervise my Jedi training."_ _ **So, there.**_

_Master Kenobi stroked his beard thoughtfully, silently observing the interaction._

_**Why is he still smiling like that? Like he knows something no one else knows…** _

" _But that doesn't make any sense!" Anakin exclaimed, glaring as his former Master._

" _I'm afraid we'll have to sort this out later," Master Kenobi interjected. "It won't be long before those droids figure out a way around our cannons."_

_In a tone that made his irritation obvious, Anakin said, "Let's go check on Rex and the look-out post."_

_That's when she felt Master Kenobi's gentle arm wrap around her shoulders for the first time. The feeling comforted her as if silently telling her everything would be all right._

" _You'd better take her with you."_

_Master Skywalker stopped in his tracks, curling his hand into a tight fist. He made no reply, choosing instead to continue with his retreat._

_Smiling smugly at having gotten her way, Ahsoka scurried off after her new Master, skipping to the beat of her dancing heart._

_**I'm finally a Padawan! Finally!** _

_She'd waited far too long—longer than most Initiates, who usually got chosen before they turned thirteen._

_And then they were sent away if they aged out… sent to the AgriCorps or some other stupid place where Jedi grew crops and tended gardens._

_**All because they didn't have a Master.** _

_But that was before the war. Nowadays, every able-bodied Jedi was needed to help with the war effort._

_**And now that means me, too.** _

_**Me. I'm a Jedi warrior on the frontlines.** _

_**I'm a Jedi warrior… And I won't let my Master down.** _

_**You'll see, Master Skywalker.** _

_**I won't let you down.** _

* * *

Master Mace Windu's famous words echoed through her mind as she crept down the latest slope.

" _We are keepers of the peace, not soldiers."_

Not soldiers. Yet here they were, marching into battle after battle in an attempt to free the galaxy from Separatist control.

She had been so eager to fight, to _help_ when she'd first been taken on as Anakin's Padawan.

Now, stalking the mountainous grounds of Otumniwith nothing better to do than search for an evasive, nexu-like creature with creepy red eyes, Ahsoka had time to reflect on the past two years of her life. She couldn't remember a time when war _wasn't_ her entire life.

"Anything, Snips?"

Anakin's whisper startled her out of her thoughts. A half-second later, his dark frame emerged from behind a nearby boulder.

"Skyguy!" she hissed. "Don't scare me like that!"

"What? It's not my fault you weren't paying attention," he said with a shrug.

The sun had set not too long ago and Ahsoka was more than ready to give up the chase.

Though it felt pointless to her, it was everything to Anakin. Somehow, finding and killing this beast would clear him of all the guilt he'd accumulated during both attacks.

All that needless guilt.

"Master, I don't think it's up here anymore."

"It has to be, Ahsoka. We have to find it."

"Why? What good will—"

Several blaster shots pierced the night.

"Rex," Anakin breathed, dashing off in the direction of the sound.

_Please let him be okay! Please!_

"General!" Rex's voice crackled through her Master's commlink. "I've got a sighting on it! The beast is headed your way. General Kenobi must have really frightened this thing because it bolted after my first shot."

"Good." Ahsoka didn't quite care for the vengeful lust lacing her Master's tone. "Just keep driving it our way."

"Will do, sir."

The communication fizzled out and the Master/Padawan team focused all their efforts on cutting the beast off at the next pass.

Adrenaline pumped through Ahsoka's veins, driving her forward despite her fatigue.

_We can do this._

_**I** _ _can do this…_

"There!" Anakin shouted, pointing at a cluster of boulders.

Ahsoka followed his finger just in time to witness the beast duck behind the largest rock.

Skidding to a halt, Anakin whispered the plan to her.

"I'll go around the back and chase it out. I want you to wait here. The second it jumps out from behind those boulders, slash its neck with your lightsaber."

She nodded. "Got it."

"Remember, you've got one shot before its only vulnerable section is out of range. Don't miss."

"Are you sure you don't want _me_ to chase it out so that _you_ can deliver the final blow?"

He smirked. "As much as I'd like to, you'll be more merciful than I would."

So, that was it. _Oh, Skyguy._

With another nod, she went to her post, watching her Master disappear around the giant rocks.

One shot. One chance. That was all she had.

_Don't screw this up, Ahsoka. Don't let your Master down._

One shot.

She readied one of her lightsabers, illuminating the semi-blackness with its blazing green glow.

One chance.

She adjusted her stance, a perfect Form V.

"Come on, Skyguy…"

"Commander!" Her commlink crackled. "I've got eyes on the creature."

"I do too," she told Rex, not flicking her gaze to the right or to the left for even a second. "Come on, Skyguy…"

She heard the captain running over to her before she heard his reply via comm. "What? But, sir, you're not even—"

The Force screamed out a warning, blocking out all other sounds from her mind, and she knew this was it.

This was her one chance not only to get rid of the beast once and for all, but to make her Master proud.

" _You have one shot before its only vulnerable section is out of range. Don't miss."_

Don't miss…

It was out of last-minute panic—or perhaps a deep-rooted doubt in her own abilities with a lightsaber, which weren't anywhere near the level of her Master's—that prompted Ahsoka to reach out with the Force.

One confused curse from Rex and two seconds later, Ahsoka found the captain's blaster pistol clutched securely in her hand.

_One chance._

_One—_

The Force screamed its warning again, but this time, it all felt _wrong_.

_**Snips, I don't see—** _

"Commander!"

Rex's cry came too late. Her finger was already pulling the trigger.

Her mind had anticipated shooting the beast more than once, which is why it took three shots for her to realize.

Three shots for the awful truth to penetrate her mind. For her mind to send signals to her hand.

For her to _stop!_

_STOP!_

And for one terrible moment, all time seemed to freeze.

She couldn't breathe, couldn't think.

Couldn't _move_.

"Commander… what…?" Rex's shocked whisper drove needles into her pounding heart.

Her Master's body hit the ground with a dull _thud._

Then, the beast pounced.

Immediately, Ahsoka began firing at its neck as its claws tore at Anakin's skin.

"Where the heck did it come from?" she shouted at Rex, though none of it was his fault.

_It's_ _**my** _ _fault. All my fault!_

"It was perched on that ledge up there," Rex replied, using his other blaster to take the beast from the left. "I told you, I had eyes on it."

She pursed her lips, focusing every fiber of her being on destroying the beast before it destroyed her Master.

Tossing his tainted blaster to the side and whipping out her lightsabers, Ahsoka dove into battle once more.

With a quick flip, she was on its back. Every moment she wasted brought Anakin closer to death.

_Death…_

So she adjusted her grip on her sabers and thrust them underneath the beast's neck, mere inches away from Anakin's chest. Then, with an aggravated shriek, she plunged the blades up into its flesh.

Instantly, the monster stilled, collapsing onto her Master.

Jumping off, she used the Force to shove the animal away from Anakin and into the side of the boulder.

Despite her best efforts, she couldn't stifle a gasp.

Anakin lie motionless on the rocky ground, the top front of his Jedi robes torn to shreds. Blood began to pool atop his broken skin, oozing slowly, steadily.

Though a suffocating fear gripped at her soul, Ahsoka forced herself to kneel beside him.

_Please be all right! Please…_

His breathing was ragged, hitching every-so-often. When his eyes opened, they were glazed over with pain.

"Master, I'm so sorry! I didn't… I didn't see you!"

A bubbly cough echoed deep within his throat.

"You got 'im, Snips."

Ahsoka glanced up at the animal's carcass. "Yeah… I got him…"

She felt Rex kneel beside her. "Commander, what—?"

"What have I done, Rex?" Choking back a sob, she shook her head. "What have I done?"

"I…" Rex fumbled for the right words. Only, there were no right words. Not now, not after this. "I don't… Commander, I'm…"

"What have I done…?"


	8. Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "It's not your fault, sir."
> 
> "I'm the one who brought us here, aren't I?" Ahsoka started at the sudden sharpness of Obi-Wan's tone.
> 
> "Master," she croaked, her throat tight with emotion, "the Jedi Council sent us on this mission."
> 
> "Yes, but I'm on the Council."

Obi-Wan paced the cave's entrance, wondering not for the first time when they would be coming back.

_Blast! I should have gone with them. They've probably gotten themselves injured, or worse—_

_No! Don't think like that. Anakin is a grown man. He is more than capable of taking care of himself_ _**and** _ _Ahsoka. As is Rex…_

Still.

_Still._

Sometimes, all he saw when he looked at the Knight was his old Padawan. The one who jumped into danger without thought. The one who acted first and considered the consequences later.

The one who relied on his Master to pull him out of tight spots.

"Sir." Cody's voice echoed lightly throughout the cave. "We can't stay here for too much longer. The men need a better place to recover, and Boil found a stalactite that drips some sort of liquid. I believe it's the cause of the damp air in here." Obi-Wan made no reply. "It's not good for the wounded, General."

"I know, Cody." He sighed, turning to his commander. "I honestly thought they would be back by now. We can't go on without them and Anakin isn't answering his commlink. All I get when I try is static. The same goes for Rex and Ahsoka."

"I'm sure they're all right, sir. No need to worry."

"What makes you think I'm worried? I'm perfectly fine."

"That may be true." Cody eyed him, the moonlight illuminating the jagged scar on his left temple. "But you _have_ been pacing the floor since sunset."

"It hasn't been _that_ long."

"Whatever you say, General." Then, he smiled, placing a comforting hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder. "They'll be back soon."

"I do hope so, Cody."

"And Fives is on look-out duty, so there's really no need to continue guarding the entrance here."

Obi-Wan sighed. "I suppose you're right. I only wanted to—"

"General Kenobi!" They both whipped around to find Fives sprinting towards them. "General! General Kenobi!"

Obi-Wan's heart skipped a beat when he caught sight of the ARC trooper's pale white pallor. "What is it, Fives? What happened?"

"It's General Skywalker," he gasped, gulping in the much-needed air he'd spent during his marathon. "They're just… just over the ridge. It doesn't look good, sir."

"Cody, get Jesse out here!" Obi-Wan ordered, his feet already starting towards the ridge. "And all the medical supplies we can spare!"

The commander only nodded, vanishing into the bowels of the cave.

"Show me where they are, Fives."

"Right. Follow me, General."

Dashing after the trooper, Obi-Wan had only one thought: _Let him be all right._

He didn't have much hope, however, and not a shred of his usual optimism. Fives had been perfectly clear: it didn't look good.

_Just how bad does that make the situation, though?_

Even his low expectations couldn't have prepared him for the sight that waited just over the ridge.

Anakin lay cradled in Rex's arms with what looked like one of Ahsoka's pant legs wrapped around his torso.

The only movement he made was caused by the short clip of the captain's gait.

_No. No, don't let him be dead! I can't take it. I'm not prepared. I can't—_

"What happened?" The words were out of his mouth before he even reached the scraggly group.

Ahsoka's confession was the second shock he received that night. "I shot him."

"You _shot_ him?" It didn't add up. His mind was spinning. All he could comprehend was that his brother was hurt and Ahsoka was somehow to blame.

"Help me get him back to camp," Rex said. "I'll explain later."

"You shot him…?" Obi-Wan repeated, mostly to himself.

Two questions burned in his mind as he gently pried Anakin from Rex's arms: what was Ahsoka doing talking about, and what on Otumni's green earth _happened?_

* * *

A pain Ahsoka had never known before continued to eat at her soul, devouring every last fiber of her confidence and replacing it with toxins of guilt.

_What have I done?_

Every other minute, her Master would twitch in pain, his flushed face contorting in ways that made her stomach turn.

_At least now he has a proper bandage, instead of my sweaty pant leg._

As if on cue, she shivered, her exposed left leg tingling against the soft brushes of cold. Not once in their agonizing journey back did she consider how odd her attire must look now.

No, her thoughts centered around her Master and _only_ her Master.

_What have I—_

"General!" Cody's sharp tone startled her and she focused back in on the situation at hand. "What are you doing?"

The Jedi in question had his hands placed strategically atop Anakin's wrapped chest, his eyes closed and face drawn in deep concentration.

"Sir, you—"

"My promise is invalid when my Padawan's life is on the line, Commander," Obi-Wan snapped, strain bleeding into his tone.

For a moment, she thought Cody might fight it, but he merely stepped back with a nod, giving his general more room to work.

And so began the second most terrifying moment in Ahsoka's young life—the first having already occurred earlier that evening.

They all watched in silence as Obi-Wan focused on healing Anakin.

" _I can only ease the pain and, at best, lessen the severity of the wound."_

While Obi-Wan's tendency to downplay his skills normally hurt her heart, for once in her life, she hoped her grandmaster's words from the briefing had been a slight against his skills as a healer.

_Please, let him have been selling himself short when he said that! Please…_

She stiffened as Obi-Wan's brow furrowed.

Rex's hand closed tightly around hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

No one seemed to even _breathe._ Well, except Cody, who however over his general as if the man was about to keel over any second.

When Anakin moaned, she shivered.

"Is he…" She couldn't say it. She couldn't make it real.

Obi-Wan didn't reply right away, he merely scrunched his face up further and placed his palm on Anakin's forehead. It was almost as if he had to physically work hard to pull himself out of whatever trance he was in. And for a moment, she wasn't sure he would succeed.

"General…?" Cody asked, his voice tight.

Sucking in a breath, Obi-Wan finally opened his eyes. "... I'm all right."

"Anakin…?" Ahsoka added, her voice barely audible.

"I eased him to sleep. He's fine. For now." He sighed, shaking his head. "I can feel the poison coursing through his veins."

"What about the blaster wounds?" Rex questioned where Ahsoka could not. She couldn't bring herself to even _reference_ what happened.

"Infection will be his greatest enemy," Obi-Wan replied solemnly. "But for now… For now, he just needs rest. And bacta. Jesse, how is our supply—?"

"It's running low, sir. Almost critically so."

_Stang! That's right!_

Why did everything seem to be getting worse with each passing second?

With Cody's help, Obi-Wan rose from the ground. "We don't have much time. So far, no one has died from this poison, but they _are_ getting worse and I don't want to take any chances. There's no assuming anything here."

"The city is our best bet, General," Cody said. "There, we can find some sort of antidote. I'm sure the people of this planet don't just let their families die from this poison. They have to have created some sort of antidote." He turned to Rex. "Right?"

The captain only shrugged, giving his head a slight shake.

Obi-Wan stroked his beard in deep thought. "If we even make it that far. Jesse, including Anakin, how many of the remaining troops are wounded?"

"Five, sir." The substitute medic shook his head sadly. "Just five."

"I could've sworn there were…" her grandmaster gazed into Jesse's eyes, "... I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault, sir."

"I'm the one who brought us here, aren't I?" Ahsoka started at the sudden sharpness of Obi-Wan's tone.

"Master," she croaked, her throat tight with emotion, "the Jedi Council sent us on this mission."

"Yes, but I'm _on_ the Council."

Rex chimed in next, his voice low, "We all made the choice to come, sir. We all wanted this mission just as much as you did."

Closing his eyes, Obi-Wan breathed deeply, easily. Then, he turned his gaze upon Anakin, who had to fight for each new breath. "Not all of us. Prepare the men. We'll depart within the half hour."

As Obi-Wan left the cave, Ahsoka realized with a pang that the worst hadn't passed with the pulling of the trigger.

No, it was yet to come, waiting to be ushered in with the drop in confidence, the increase in guilt.

Not just her own guilt, but Obi-Wan's as well.


	9. Nine

"Is it creeping anyone else out to see all those bodies just floating in midair like that?"

Not for the first time that night, Rex was grateful for the helmet hiding his face. If Fives had only seen how many times his eyes rolled nearly into the back of his head…

"There are five wounded," he replied. "You make it sound like they're carrying the whole army back there."

"I just can't get used to the sight of it." Fives shrugged. "That's all I'm saying."

"Well, you'd better start trying because I don't think we'll be getting to that city any time soon."

With a huff, the ARC trooper took one final glance behind, then focused all his attention on the road ahead.

It was no more than a dirt path, if Rex was honest, with a few pebbles scattered here and there just often enough to become annoying.

_But at least it's something to walk on. At least it's flat ground._

His body still felt like it was traversing endless slopes and mountains.

As Fives ventured further ahead with Boil, the two having been assigned as scouts for the time being, Rex risked a glance behind.

The scene remained unchanged, but really, he hadn't expected anything different from the last ten times he'd checked on the group. How General Kenobi and Commander Tano had the energy to not only carry themselves over the terrain, but also five wounded soldiers was beyond him.

Rex didn't fully comprehend how the Force worked, but he assumed using to carefully float human beings as if they were lying on gurneys was mentally taxing.

_At least we_ _**have** _ _a way to transport them._

At least.

He was growing tired of 'at leasts.'

_How much more can this mission sink into the depths before we're all buried?_

_Well,_ his mind continued grimly, _at least we'd all be together._

The still night air was punctured by the sudden beep and crackle of his commlink. "Captain."

"What is it, Fives?"

"Come over here quick." His heart skipped a beat. "I think we have something."

Jogging away from the rest of the group, Rex worked hard to keep his hopes quelled. He couldn't have another disappointment.

_Not another disappointment. Not another problem to deal with…_

When he finally caught sight of the scouts, Fives waved him over.

"What is it, Fives?" he said. "What did you have me run all the way over here for?"

In reply, Fives merely turned and gestured towards a young man, who seemed to be hiding behind Boil.

"Hello," was all Rex could think to say. "And you are…?"

"Riff," the young man offered, straightening. "Riff Waldar."

"He lives here," Fives added.

"Naturally," Rex couldn't help but mutter.

"His farm isn't more than five klicks away." Fives grinned, excitement and hope shining off his face. "And he's offered to put us up for the night."

Slightly shocked, Rex removed his helmet and studied the man. "You did?"

"Yes, sir," he replied with a nod.

"Does he know how many of us—" Rex turned away from Fives and eyed the young man once more, figuring it easier to cut out the middle-man—especially when said middle-man happened to be Fives. "Do you know how many of us there are?"

"Five wounded and ten soldiers."

_Kriff… How are there only fifteen of us left?_

_Only fifteen…_

"Your man here," he continued, nodding at Fives, "tells me your wounded were poisoned by the juaal."

 _So that's what those monsters are called._ "Yeah. They were. Our medical staff doesn't know how to treat it, which is why we're heading for the city."

"The city is miles away. You'll never make it."

_Who is this kid?_

"If I give you the location of my farm," he went on, his shaggy brown hair flappy slightly in the wind, "you can tell the others and meet me there. I'll rush on ahead and call for the doctor. He knows how to treat poisoned wounds."

Rex nodded curtly. "Thank you. If you'll just tell me one thing before you go—"

"What?"

The captain swallowed, glancing at Fives and Boil out of the corners of his eyes. "How long do they have? I mean, until the poison…"

 _Kills them._ _Before it kills them all._

The man only shook his head. "Two days at most. That's without medicine. _That's_ why you need the doctor."

_Two days._

_Two._

Rex tightened his grip on his helmet.

_Kriffing._

The young man gave Fives the coordinates before disappearing into the night.

_Days._

_At least there's still hope._

_At least—_

_Only two days._

_Only two kriffing days…_

"Well," he said aloud, more to himself than to his comrades, "at least it's not one."

And with that, he put on his helmet and marched back to the group, leaving a confused Fives and Boil in his wake.

_At least it's not one._

* * *

The boy hadn't spoken a word since they had arrived and, honestly, it was starting to make her uncomfortable.

Though, Ahsoka supposed he wasn't really a _boy_. He looked slightly older than her, and she wasn't a little girl anymore.

She was a Jedi.

None of this changed the fact that her skin crawled every time this young man _didn't_ speak.

He just… stood there. Watching. Observing these strangers as they settled their wounded onto the cots provided.

 _Generously provided,_ she had to remind herself. _You're a guest here, don't forget._

That didn't mean she had to feel good about it.

And it didn't mean she had to trust anyone.

How could she? _I barely even trust myself anymore._

The weight of Rex's blaster pistol still burned her hand, searing almost as hot as the weight of her actions.

_My actions…_

She stared down as Anakin's flushed form, now covered by a colorful, handmade quilt.

_I did this._

"We can't thank you enough," Master Obi-Wan was saying to the young man as the last of the wounded were taken care of for the night. "Now, you're sure your parents won't mind?"

"Nah. It's just my dad and I—and my grandma, I guess—and if he had it his way, you all would be welcome for the entire month."

"Well, I doubt we'll be staying that long." She felt his gaze pass through her to Anakin.

His former Padawan.

_Who I very well might've murder tonight._

_No! Don't think about—_

"In the next room over," the man began, "you'll find more cots and mattresses for the rest of your men. No use squeezing everyone in one small room. And the door to the right leads to the kitchen."

"Thank you," Obi-Wan said again, his tone suddenly weary. "Very much."

Their host only nodded before retreating from… wherever they were.

Besides the fact that Ahsoka's emotions were swirling too fast to concentrate on anything but her Master, the room was very dimly lit.

"I'll take the first watch, sir," Rex told Obi-Wan, then nodded at Ahsoka. "You both get some rest."

"That's a kind offer, Rex," Obi-Wan replied, that touch of weariness having conveniently vanished from his voice. "But as the general, I'll take the first watch. You make sure the men get some proper rest."

"Very good, sir. If you're sure?"

"Positive."

After another nod, Rex joined the others in the adjoining room.

Turning her attention to her Master once more, Ahsoka was slightly relieved to see that his breathing had evened out.

Then she noticed Obi-Wan's healing hand resting gently on Anakin's forehead.

"That means you, too, Ahsoka," he said, removing his palm and rubbing it for a moment.

She found the action somewhat mesmerizing.

"Does it hurt?" She ventured to ask, sick of her own silence.

"Does what hurt?" The Jedi Master seemed uncharacteristically absent-minded.

"Your hand when you do whatever you just did," she clarified. "When you heal people."

A soft hum echoed within his throat as he settled down on the floor mere inches away from Anakin's mat. "I can't heal people, Ahsoka. I can only dull their pain… ease the severity of the wound."

"But what you did to him just now," she pressed. "It hurt you, didn't it?"

His tight smile was perhaps the smallest she'd ever seen. "Get some rest, young one. Goodness knows you need it."

The conversation was over, that much was clear. Yet, Ahsoka still found it hard to pull herself away from her Masters. As if without her presence, somehow, Anakin would never get better.

_What if he dies while I'm gone? If he breathes his last breath when I'm not there to say goodbye…?_

_What if-_

"I'll take good care of him, Ahsoka." Obi-Wan's soft voice startled her out of her thoughts. "I promise."

She could only nod. Then, swallowing hard, she forced herself to about-face and exit the room. With each step, her retreat grew more and more difficult, almost as though she was magnetically connected to her Master and straying too far away from stretched their magnetic pull beyond its boundaries.

But she did it, despite the ache the click of the closing door gave her heart.

The interior of this room was just as dim as the last one, with the only source of light coming from the shimmering rays of moonlight that filtered through the far window.

Ahsoka had just settled down on an empty mat against the wall when bright white floodlights poured over the darkness. Instinctively, a dirty, gloved hand flew up to shade her eyes.

"Fives!" Rex's whispered shout echoed off the walls. "Turn that thing off!"

"Sorry!" the trooper replied. "It's just so dark in here! Doesn't anyone else think it's too dark?"

"No," Tup interjected. "It's dark 'cause we're all trying to sleep!"

Murmurs of agreeance filtered throughout the small room.

"Just turn it off, Fives," Rex repeated, his voice taking on a wearier tone this time around. "And get some sleep."

Despite his commanding officer's order, Fives' helmet lights remained on, blinding anyone who even _glanced_ his way.

"Fives…" Jesse groaned.

Tup's tired voice came next. "Fives!"

"Turn those lights off, trooper!" Cody's sharp tone cut through the chaos, commanding silence and obedience. "That's an order!"

A few seconds dragged by before the room was plunged into darkness once more.

 _Finally!_ Honestly, sometimes it was like having a handful of brothers instead of an army of soldiers.

A wave of fatigue washed over her, however, just as she felt herself drifting off into blessed oblivion-with Rex's soft snoring acting as a familiar sound machine-a figure brushed past her.

Cracking open an eyelid, she watched Fives tiptoe out of the room.

 _It's someone else's problem,_ she tried to convince herself as she snuggled further into her mat. _You have enough worries of your own. He probably just wants to be alone._

_But what if he doesn't? And honestly, could you_ _**really** _ _fall asleep without knowing what's bothering him?_

No. _Dang it!_ She couldn't.

_Besides, the track outside will give me another chance to check on Anakin._

_Anakin…_

Heaving herself off the floor, Ahsoka followed the ARC trooper, being careful not to catch Obi-Wan's attention on the way.

There was no real danger of that, however, as he was thoroughly occupied with changing Anakin's bandages.

"Fives?" she whispered when her boots finally connected with the soft grass.

Silhouetted perfectly against the moonlight, the man in question didn't look back, keeping his gaze fixed instead something beyond. Something unseen to all but Fives. His helmet was tucked tightly under his arm.

And its floodlights were switched on.

"Hey, Commander."

"Hey," she replied, drawing slowly closer to him. "Are you all right?"

She got her answer through his silence.

"Sorry about the commotion back there." He rubbed at the back of his neck. "I just couldn't sleep."

"Well, you really didn't give yourself that long to try."

His next words were barely audible, but Ahsoka picked up on them anyway. "It was too dark."

"You've… never had trouble with the dark before."

"I know." She found herself holding her breath as he sighed. "I just… I need to be able to see. If those creatures come back, I need to be able to _see_ them."

A stab of pain pierced her heart.

_Anakin…_

"I can't walk blindly into an attack," he went on. "No again."

There were more than a dozen things she could say. _They won't be coming back,_ or _You'll be safe inside the house,_ or even _It wasn't your fault._

But those would only give him a false sense of security. On top of that, they were hypocritical.

_It's not your fault. You didn't kn—_

In the end, she decided not to say anything at all. Instead, she took a seat on the grass, adjusting only slightly so she wouldn't bruise her thighs on any rocks or roots.

"Uh, Commander…?"

"If we're going to keep a watch out for those beasts,"—she grinned up at him—"then we'd better make ourselves comfortable."


	10. Ten

Jolting backwards at the sight of a man towering over her was _not_ the way Ahsoka had envisioned herself waking up the next morning.

"Are you two together?"

_Who_ _**is** _ _this guy?_

"What?" She was surprised her jolt didn't wake Fives, upon whom's chest her head rested. "What? No, ew, of course not!"

_What on earth—?_

It was only as she pried herself off the ground that she recognized him to be their host from last night.

"Oh, sorry," he replied, wisely taking a step back, "I just assumed…"

"Well, don't, okay?" _It's too early for this_. "We were just keeping watch."

"Watch?" his nose crinkled, folding many of his light freckles in half. "For what?"

"It doesn't matter anymore." A sigh escaped her lips. "We were just… watching. Then we fell asleep. That's _all_."

Before he could even form his next word, Ahsoka bent down and shook Fives awake. Thankfully, he didn't punch her, which was always a legitimate concern when waking a sleeping soldier.

"Commander? What—?"

"I think everyone's waking up now," she said as he jumped to his feet. "So I was thinking, maybe we should head back inside?"

"Right." He gave her a short nod that held all the gratitude in the world, then retreated back to the house.

"I'm afraid we haven't been properly introduced," the young man began, reminding her of his presence. "I'm Riff Waldar."

She gave his hand a once over with her tired eyes before folding her arms about her chest.

"And you are…?"

Smirking, she knew she'd regret her next words… someday. "Why don't you just _assume_ what it is?"

"Look, I'm really sorry about that and I've already said so multiple times."

"I don't think it matters what my name is," she said at last, gazing at him with sad eyes. "I won't be staying long. As soon as my Master gets better—"

"Don't worry, he will."

"I know." The lie was bitter and it only served to feed the monster growing inside her soul. "I know he will. As soon as your doctor gets here, he'll be fine."

The young man, or _Riff_ , winced. _Why is he wincing?_

"What?"

"The doctor can't come until later this afternoon."

Fresh anxiety coursed through her veins. _What?_

"Why not?"

He shrugged. "He's tied up with the Blyndelli family. Mrs. Blyndelli is having her baby, or has been _trying_ to for about two days."

_Anakin…_

"Well, then we can just call another doctor." _No, no! Don't you dare shake your head again!_ "What is it this time?"

"Uh… Well, Doc Izen, he's…"

"He's _what?_ " She could feel her patience quickly dwindling and she hated herself for it.

_I wouldn't be impatient if this boy would just spit it_ _**out!** _

"He's the only doctor within a hundred miles."

Anxiety was replaced by a numbness tinged with despair.

"The only doctor…?"

Riff nodded.

_Only one doctor._

A grimace took control of her face. "Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse."

_Oh, Anakin…_

_What have I gotten you into?_

* * *

The room wasn't large by any means. Besides the array of boxes, the mats, and a small round table littered with several kinds of plants—all of which either dying or dead—it was quite sparsely furnished.

And it gave Obi-Wan a hollow feeling as he sat against the wall, rigid and exhausted.

_Perhaps it's not the room itself, rather, the people inside._

He spared a glance at his ailing brother, whose cheeks seemed to grow a deeper shade of red each time he looked away.

Which is why he tried not to look away.

_When is that blasted doctor going to get here?_

"You can't keep pulling stunts like this, General." Irritated concern laced Cody's voice.

"Good morning to you, too, Cody."

"Why didn't you wake one of us when your shift ended?"

A tired grin stretched his lips. "When it comes to Anakin, you'll find my shift never truly _ends_."

"You're avoiding the question, sir."

"Everyone was so exhausted. But, tonight we can implement the shifts."

Cody shook his head. "No, _today_ we _will_ implement the shifts. And I'm taking the next watch. You need sleep just as much as the rest of us." Obi-Wan opened his mouth, but Cody beat him to it. "And don't give me any of that Jedi-Can-Go-Longer-Without-Sleep stuff. You know I don't believe a word of it."

"All right, Cody," Obi-Wan sighed. Biting back a moan, he took his commander's outstretched arm and pulled his stiff body off the floor. "I'll let you take it from here."

"What are you going to do, sir?"

Obi-Wan smirked. "Someone has to thank our hosts for taking in fifteen soldiers at midnight. And," he added when he reached the door, "I'll see if I can bring you something to eat."

"I'm good, sir."

"And I'm not completely exhausted," he replied with his usual hint of sarcasm, "but nice try."

"I learned from the best."

"Funny."

With that, Obi-Wan left the room for the first time in more than seven hours, knowing he was leaving his former Padawan in good hands.

The sweet smell of baked goods saturated his senses the minute he shut the door behind him.

And for a single second, Obi-Wan felt completely relaxed.

Then, a shrill voice shattered the serenity.

"Tenneth! Is that really you?"

Whirling around, Obi-Wan came face to face with an elderly woman leaning back against a large stove. Her silver hair was pulled into a tight bun, and though she wasn't tall, her hunched shoulders sat only slightly lower than his own straight ones.

"I am…" Obi-Wan began hesitantly when he finally found his voice, "... afraid there has been some sort of misunderstanding. I'm Obi-Wan Kenobi, I'm not sure who—"

Before he could even finish, she clasped her hands together, a bright smile lighting up her face. "Oh, Tenneth! It _is_ you! I see you still have that wonderful sense of humor I always loved!"

Obi-Wan found himself backing away, but apparently he hadn't been fast enough because the next thing he knew, she had flung herself into his arms.

"Oh, Tenneth! Back from the grave again, are you?"

"I… beg your pardon?"

"Oh, I'm so glad! You don't know how I've missed you."

"Yes, well…" Thoroughly disturbed and confused, he pried himself out of her embrace—gently, so as not to hurt her feelings. "Are you the one I'm to thank for the wonderful hospitality my men and I have received?"

"Oh, Tenneth," she said with a grin, giving his shoulder a playful bat. "This is your home as much as mine. You don't have to thank anyone!"

"Yes, well I'd like to do so all the same. So, thank y—"

"Now, you just hush up while I take these cookies out of the oven. I made them just the way you like them."

"Uh…I'm not—"

"I said hush!" Flashing another grin, the woman turned back to her stove.

_Oh dear, this ends now!_

"I'm terribly sorry, madam, but I'm afraid you might have mistaken me for someone else."

Her eyes when she glanced back at him were fierce, determined.

And far too sure of herself for his liking.

"Honey, I _never_ forget a face, especially not one as handsome as yours. Why, you look almost exactly the same as you did thirty-seven years ago!"

Obi-Wan's eyes went wide at this statement and, to his chagrin, he found himself at a loss for words, which he blamed on his spinning mind.

"Now, sit tight while I pull these cookies out…"

In a flash of panic and seeing no alternative course of action, Obi-Wan used the woman's distraction with the oven to slip back into the temporary healers' ward.

"Back already? Didn't I tell you to get some—"

"We can't stay here, Cody," Obi-Wan interrupted. "It's far too dangerous. I believe we should prepare the troops for evacuation immediately."

"I don't think these men are in any condition to move just yet," Cody explained, glancing about the room.

"Yes," Obi-Wan crossed his arms, "I suppose you're right. Perhaps we can get some sort for transportation, then? The sooner we get out of this place, the better."

Studying him closely, Cody lightly cleared his throat. "Uh, General? Is something wrong?"

Despite his intentions to play it cool, Obi-Wan found the words freely tumbling out of his mouth. "Do you know there's a woman in there who thinks I'm… She thinks… Well, she looked at me as if—" A growl of frustration and confusion vibrates his vocal chords. "This old woman in there… she thinks I'm her husband, or… or _something_!"

"Or _something,_ sir?"

"I don't know! I can't ever remember being more confused in my life. Whoever she thinks I am, I don't think they're alive anymore."

"What makes you think that?"

"She mentioned something about me coming back from the grave… _again._ " Obi-Wan felt an odd sense of satisfaction wash over him at the sight of Cody's alarmed expression. "There, _now_ you see the gravity of my situation. And why we can't stay here a minute longer."

"With all due respect, sir, I believe the well-being of the troops takes precedence over… whatever this mess is you've gotten yourself into."

"Me? _I_ didn't do anything but _stand_ there!" He pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh. "She told me I look exactly the same as I did thirty-seven years ago. Cody, I haven't even been _alive_ for thirty-seven years!"

"I'm… afraid I don't know what to tell you, sir. Or how to help you."

"How can you? I barely even know how to help myself in this situation. But I will tell you this: the last thing I need is to be dodging someone who thinks I'm her—"

"Guys!" Fives' breathless voice cut through the conversation. "Have you met Grandma?"

"She's giving out cookies," Ahsoka added, holding up a cream-colored wafer. "One for each hand."

"How generous," Obi-Wan commented dryly.

"Here, Master." Ahsoka held her second cookie out to him. "Try one. I've never tasted anything like it before."

"Thank you, Ahsoka, but I'm afraid I suddenly don't feel much like eating."

Lines of concern laced her face. "Are you all right? Is Anakin—"

"Anakin is fine." _For now._ "And he will be until the doctor gets here. No need to worry."

Whatever he's said, he didn't mean to hurt her, but her expression twisted into that of more sorrow and pain than he had ever seen in her.

"Ahsoka…? What—"

"The doctor isn't coming."

_What?_

"Not until later on this afternoon. Maybe not even until tonight."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Cody straighten.

_No, no, not good!_ "Where did you hear this?"

"Riff told me. He's the boy we all met last night. He said,"—here, she clenched her fist around the crumbling wafer—"that in all this vast, lush land, there's only _one_ doctor."

A debilitating numbness soaked into his skin.

_Why?_

_Anakin…_

"Well…" he searched for something positive to say. Something. _Anything_. "We'll just have to wait then, I suppose."

They all stared at him, expecting something more, something reassuring.

But Obi-Wan had nothing. _Nothing._

Most days, he stepped easily, readily into his role as a leader, well aware of how many people would lean on him throughout the course of the day; would ask for his advice; would need comfort in a moment of darkness.

Sometimes, though—and it was beginning to occur more often as the war dragged on—Obi-Wan despised the role he'd been thrust into. For more than ten years, he had been the leader, the caretaker, the one you go to when things go wrong… when you need a shoulder to cry on.

Yet, he had no one above him whom he could run to in the same way. No one since Qui-Gon.

And it was on these days that he felt most like a Padawan, not a Jedi Master.

Lost. Alone. Helpless.

With no one to tell him, "Don't worry, young one, it will all turn out right in the end."

His feet were gliding him towards the door before his mind could even comprehend the motion.

"Master Obi-Wan…?"

"If you'll excuse me for a moment," he replied, his voice tight with emotion, "I need some air."


	11. Eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The doctor arrives...

_He just didn't listen to her. It was as if anything she said could never hope to match or even come_ _**close** _ _to his superiority._

_Her ideas meant nothing._

**I** _**mean nothing.** _

_Not for the first time in her short, one-day apprenticeship to Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka found herself wishing she had been assigned to Master Kenobi instead. While the Jedi Master seemed stricter than her own, at least he listened to what people had to say. At least he didn't act like he was better than everyone else._

_**At least he doesn't ignore me, or act like I'm ruining his life.** _

_She remembered Anakin's harsh words to her as they started on their first mission together: "If we survive this, Snips, you and I are gonna have a talk."_

_And she was still waiting for said talk. Every moment she waited pumped fresh strings of anxiety into her heart and mind._

_**He's going to transfer me to another Master. He's going to get rid of me, I know it!** _

_So, she had put on her happy face and began doubling her efforts to prove what a skilled Jedi and obedient student she was._

_Or…_ _**could** _ _be…_

_And_ _**then** _ _, as if things weren't strained enough already between them, she'd brought that wall of rock down on him with the Force._

_In her defense, there_ _**was** _ _a Skyguy-shaped hole in the center of the block,_ _**and** _ _her strategy had successfully knocked out all the battle droids._

" _You could've gotten me killed!" He'd shouted with a growl._

" _I know what I'm doing!"_ _ **Why couldn't he see that?**_

_But her Master had only brushed past her, rage radiating off his rigid body. "I had_ _**everything** _ _under control!"_

" _I just saved your_ _ **life!**_ _"_

_Silence was all the reply she had received after that, and it hadn't taken her long to figure out Master Skywalker was ignoring her._

_**Fine. See if I save** _ **you** _**the next time you're in trouble, Skyguy.** _

_**See if I save** _ **you** _**again…** _

_Whenever her Master was planning on having that talk he kept threatening her with, he'd better do it soon._

_Because the anxiety of failure was tearing Ahsoka's insides apart, and her spirits were sinking lower by the minute._

_**Maybe we're just not right for each other.** _

_**Maybe Master Yoda made a mistake…** _

_Only, Master Yoda never seemed to_ _**make** _ _mistakes._

_Sitting herself down on a nearby slab of wreckage from droid invasion, Ahsoka wrapped her arms around herself, hoping the action would ward off any other painful emotions. However, it only served to gather them closer to her, to pierce her soul with their barbs of lies._

_You're not good enough._

_You're not strong enough._

_Master Skywalker hates you._

_You'll only slow him down._

_You never listen._

_And he'll never trust you._

_Squeezing her eyes shut, one final, terrible thought invaded her swirling mind:_

_**In all the history of the Jedi,** _ **I'm** _**the only one to ever cause Master Yoda to make a mistake.** _

_**Because,** _ _a sinister voice whispered in the back of her subconscious,_ _**it takes one to make one.** _

* * *

It was a mistake, all of it. Starting with the decision to come to this blasted planet in the first place!

"Don't worry, Master," Ahsoka whispered, dabbing a cool cloth across Anakin's fevered forehead. "I'll take care of you. I'll make right my mistake."

_I'll fix it, Master. I promise._

A harsh moan tore from his throat.

Ahsoka winced.

_You're going to be okay. You're going to—_

In a sudden rush of rage, she slammed her fist into the wall.

"Why didn't I stop him?" She growled at Rex, who had just come in to relieve her of her post. "That mission was pointless, we both knew that! Why didn't I cut it all off before it all went to hell?"

Rex was silent for a moment, wisely letting Ahsoka cool off before speaking his piece.

"General Skywalker's a reckless one, he always has been. I don't think _anyone_ could've stopped him from chasing down that beast." He gazed into her eyes, emotion etched on his face. "Not even you, Commander."

Blinking back tears, Ahsoka glanced down at her Master. When she spoke, her voice was barely a whisper. "The truth is, I wanted that creature killed just as much as he did and used just about as much common sense as he did. _Stang_! I knew he was somewhere around those rocks. I should've used my head instead of my heart!"

"A soldier can only do what he thinks is right at the time," Rex replied.

"Yeah… Sure." Ahsoka pushed herself off the ground, brushing past Rex. "I changed his bandages already, so he should be all right for a while."

If Rex nodded his acknowledgment, she didn't see it, and she was out the door before he could say another word.

"Hello, dearie," greeted the elderly woman the clone troopers had been affectionately calling Grandma. "Back for another treat?"

Ahsoka forced a smile for her. "No thank you. I don't know if my stomach can fit anymore cookies."

"How about a slice of cake, then?" the woman pushed.

"Maybe later." Glancing about the empty kitchen, Ahsoka changed the subject. "Do you know when the doctor will be arriving?"

"What? The doctor's coming?" She placed her hands on her hips. "Is Tenneth sick again and he didn't tell me? That man, I'll tell you!"

"Um, I'm sorry, who?"

"Tenneth, dear! Have you seen him around? He left me this morning and I haven't been able to track him down."

"Maybe you should try looking _outside_ the kitchen?"

A bright smile stretched across the woman's face. "Why, aren't you a smart little dear! Unfortunately, I can't leave my oven while the pies are in there. Perhaps you could find him for me? Tell him that I need him?"

Still confused, Ahsoka nodded. "Of course. I'll keep an eye out for him."

"Thank you, honey."

"Uh, anytime."

She found she couldn't get out of that kitchen fast enough. Her head was already spinning and she didn't need Grandma's ramblings making it worse.

Of course, she had nothing against the woman.

_I just… can't handle her sunshine right now._

_Not when my own heart is so clouded._

"Hello again."

Startled, Ahsoka glanced about the room she had wandered into until her eyes settled upon Riff reclining in a corner chair.

"Don't you have work to do or something?" She crosses her arms, still a bit bitter over his earlier jab about her and Fives. "After all, isn't this a _farm_?"

"Where do you think my father is?"

"Your father? I thought it was just you and your grandma."

" _And_ my father. You'll meet him once he returns from the city this evening."

_The city._

_Anakin…_

If there was only a way to get there quickly...

Probing the man with arched eyebrows, she asked, "Isn't the city far from here? Does he have a speeder?"

"He has an equus and cart," Riff replied, as if the fact was obvious.

"Well, there goes that idea," Ahsoka muttered, wondering briefly what sort of creature an equus was.

Closing his book with a snap, Riff steepled his fingers and gazed at her, his eyes intense, studying.

And it was creeping Ahsoka out.

"What are you doing?"

He made no reply for a good half-minute.

"Jessie," he said finally.

"What?"

"That's your name, isn't it? If you won't tell me, I have to guess. After all, I can't very well keep calling you 'the orange girl,' can I?"

_This is_ _**not** _ _what I need right now._

"I overheard one of your soldiers say Jessie was a medic. Aren't you a medic? I saw you tending to the wounded in the other room."

"How long have you been watching me? Didn't your parents ever teach you not to spy?"

"It's my house," he replied easily, completely unperturbed. "It's not spying if it's your house."

She felt her ire rising at this man… this _boy._

"Look, I don't have time for this nonsense." _Geez, I'm starting to sound like a mean version of Obi-Wan._ " _Jesse_ is my co-medic, a clone trooper in the 501st."

"Well, I suppose that name works for both genders," Riff responded nonchalantly. "So, what's _your_ name, then?"

"I don't think that's—"

A sharp rap on the door freed Ahsoka from the burden of shooting him down… _again_.

Riff jumped up from his chair. "That'll be the doctor."

Ahsoka was at the door before he could finish.

_Finally!_ _**Finally!** _ _Master, don't worry, I'm coming!_

_I won't let you down this time._

Opening the door, Ahsoka grabbed the arm of the being she assumed to be the doctor and ushered him into the room.

"Terribly sorry, Doc," Riff said as he rushed to catch up with the harried Togruta, "but she's really upset and I just can't calm her down."

Ahsoka shot him a fierce glare.

"What?" He replied defensively. "You're acting like a maniac."

"I'm sorry, Doctor," she said, pulling him along, "but we're running out of time."

As they passed through the kitchen, Ahsoka noted briefly Obi-Wan's wilted figure sitting slumped over the table as Grandma poured him a cup of tea.

She didn't have time to analyze the peculiar picture, however.

Anakin needed her.

"I'm sorry it took so long for me to get here," the doctor apologized when the trio stepped into the sick room.

"Five wounded, sir," Ahsoka explained, "and while some appear to be healing well, a few have poison coursing through their veins."

"Yes," the doctor mused, "Riff's message mentioned something about a juaal attack. It also said one had been shot?"

"That's correct," Ahsoka replied stoically before gesturing to Anakin's sleeping form. "My Master."

The doctor made his way across the room to the Jedi Knight. "Did you clean the wounds out as best you could?"

"And we applied what bacta we had left."

A moan left Anakin's lips as the doctor began poking and prodding about the wound, surveying it with expert eyes Ahsoka so desperately wished had arrived earlier.

"Easy, son. Easy."

In her turmoil, Ahsoka barely noticed Riff come up beside her.

"Well, it seems you've been able to avoid infection in those blaster wounds so far," the doctor observed. "Of course, those claw marks don't seem to have helped any."

She sucked in a breath. "I know all that. But doctor… how is he?"

Out of his bag the aged man produced an empty vial, his face producing a wince that matched her own.

"Hmm… guess I'm out."

"I asked you how he was," Ahsoka pressed.

When the doctor looked back at her, it took every ounce of self-control she had left not to burst into tears.

"He's a pretty sick boy," he responded finally. "It's unfortunate I wasn't around earlier."

Ahsoka gritted her teeth together. "Unfortunate."

"Riff," he said, seemingly ignoring the brooding Togruta in his path, "you'll need to go into the city and get this antidote." He scratched something on a scrap of paper and handed it to Riff. "It's the only thing that'll battle the poison."

To Ahsoka, he instructed, "Keep cold compresses on all of them who've been poisoned. When the medicine arrives, just follow the instructions. I'll try and get back later on tonight."

Ahsoka started. "Tonight? You mean you're not staying? You're walking out? You're going to leave them here all day?"

The doctor stared hard into her eyes. "Mrs. Blyndelli is about to have her baby in a few hours, I don't know when. And by the looks of it, it's going to be a breech birth, now I'm assuming you know what that means?"

Ahsoka glanced down, shamed slightly. "Yes, sir. Aren't there droids for that, though?"

"Oh, dearie," he sighed. "You haven't ever been to Otumni before, have you?"

She shook her head slowly.

"Out here, we're not as… technically advanced as Coruscant, or even Tatooine."

_Not as advanced as Tatooine? You've got to be kidding me…_

"Well, tell me," Ahsoka continued, trying to keep the pleasing edge out of her voice, "just how sick is my Master?"

"All right, I'll tell you." The doctor drew in a breath. "He's pretty bad off— _real_ bad off. I'm counting on his constitution and the medicine to save him."

"And there's nothing you can do?"

"Nothing at the moment. But I will tell you this: if I'm not there when Nina Blyndelli's time comes, both she and the baby are goners. Now, you tell me: what should I do?"

Ahsoka could only lower her head in shame and disappointment.

She felt the doctor brush past her and out the door; heard Grandma's cheery farewell and Obi-Wan quizzing the man all the way to the front entrance.

Then, Riff's hand was on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice oddly hoarse. "But please, try not to be upset."

"Upset?" A hysterical laugh bubbled in her throat. "Why would I be upset? He's going to be fine. Good as new, maybe better, once you get that antidote."

"Yes, I'll get it as soon as I can." His sudden hesitation made her blood run cold. "Only…"

_What now?_

"I have to wait till my father comes back."

"Why?"

"He has the only mode of transportation we own."

"Can't we borrow from a neighbor or something?"

"What neighbor? There's no one around here for miles."

"Are you kriffing _serious_?" Though shocked at her own vulgarity, she pressed on. "What kind of a planet is this?"

Riff's eyes hardened for a moment. "It's a peaceful planet with clean air and a healing atmosphere."

"Healing atmosphere? Wake up! There's _nothing_ healing about this planet! In fact, this place might very well _kill_ my Master and some of my best friends! But you obviously don't understand the gravity of those words, or else you wouldn't keep trying to sugarcoat things!"

"You have no idea what you're talking about."

"Don't I?" Finding nothing else to say, she knelt down beside her Master and began furiously changing his bandages.

"I'm sorry. We'll just have to wait," Riff said after a while and she was somewhat surprised to find him still standing there.

"We don't have time to wait," she whispered.

"Look, I know you're upset, but no one can make a timely journey to the city and back on foot. It's not humanly possible."

"Maybe not." Ahsoka rose, a sudden resolve filling her soul. "But it might just be possible for a Jedi."


	12. Twelve

Crumpled over what was quite possibly his third or fourth cup of tea, Obi-Wan resisted the strong urge to sigh.

"Another cookie, honey?"

Massaging his throbbing temple, he shook his head.

"Hmm…" the elderly woman eyed him warily. "You don't eat as much as you used to."

"A shame, I know," Obi-Wan responded drily and with one last gulp, finished off his tea. "Now, as wonderful as this afternoon has been, I'm afraid I have important matters to attend to."

"That's my Tenneth." Clasping her hands together with a sigh. "Always doing such important things."

It had been a good half hour since Ahsoka rushed past with the doctor and another ten since he'd escorted the man out the door. Even then, there was no escaping the hospitality of Grandma.

And his insides twisted a little more each minute he couldn't be in there with Anakin.

_What is Ahsoka doing in there?_

Unfortunately, Grandma was a very hard woman to shake.

"Yes, well." Obi-Wan cleared his throat. "I'll just be going—"

In a flash, she was shoving him back into his chair. "Not without tasting some of my pie! Fresh out of the oven! Just the way you like it."

"No, I don't think you understand. I'm not—"

"Master Obi-Wan!" Ahsoka's determined outburst saved him from giving another explanation to Grandma that would only fall on deaf ears.

_Thank goodness._

"What is it?" He was out of his chair and across the room in an instant. "Is Anakin all right? What did the doctor—?"

"He needs this antidote," Ahsoka said quickly, ripping an empty vial out of their young host's hand. "And Riff says we can't go to town for it until his father gets back."

She glowered at the boy for a good while before turning back to Obi-Wan. "He says no human can make it there and back in time on foot, and I'm not keen on waiting around, so I thought: a _Jedi_ might be able to travel the distance."

_So, it's come to this, has it?_ Obi-Wan sighed. _Why can't anything ever be easy?_

"Right. Well, if you'll give me the coordinates," he said to Riff, "I'll get going as soon as possible."

Reaching for the vial and the note from the doctor, Obi-Wan was a bit surprised when Ahsoka held them back, just out of his immediate reach.

"Why do you get to go? The doctor gave the instructions to _me_. I have to do this for Anakin."

"Actually," Riff interjected, "I think he gave them to me."

She fixed him with a glare. "And are _you_ a Jedi?"

Silence.

"I thought not."

"I'm sorry, Ahsoka," Obi-Wan said. "But I'll be taking this mission."

"But Master Obi-Wan—"

"This is unfamiliar territory to us. I can't let a young woman wander about this planet by herself, nor into a city with an unknown reputation."

"That's not—"

"Fair?" Obi-Wan cocked a brow. "Young one, your place is at your Master's side right now. Leave the adventure to me this time, all right?"

With a lowered head, the Padawan nodded. "Yes, Master. You'll promise to go as fast as you can there and back?"

He smiled. "Of course. I want him healed just as much as you, you know."

"That's my Tenneth!" Grandma's sigh sent shivers down Obi-Wan's spine and he resisted the urge to run and hide. "Such a hero!"

Ahsoka's inquisitive stare wasn't one he wanted to deal with at the moment, so he quickly took up the vial.

"You and Cody are in charge until I return. Now," he turned to Riff, "the coordinates?"

"Right." The young man listed off a string of numbers, which Obi-Wan promptly input into his communicator.

"Thank you."

"Of course," Riff continued, a sly smile gracing his lips, "the quickest way there is just to follow the road."

"Oh. Yes," Obi-Wan grinned despite himself. "Of course."

* * *

It wasn't something Cody was comfortable with, not by a long shot.

But his general was a grown man. He could take care of himself.

Most of the time.

It was those times he somehow managed to get himself injured that had Cody worried.

But he couldn't stop General Kenobi when his mind was made up.

And with his former Padawan's life on the line, well, all Cody could do was wish his general a safe trip.

"Just don't wear yourself out, General."

"I'll be fine, Cody," he'd promised.

"Of course, sir."

If he hadn't sounded convinced, he didn't care.

_Let him hear the concern in my voice. Maybe he'll change his mind about not bringing backup._

But he hadn't. And Cody was left to watch his general disappear into distance at a speed normal humans could only dream of achieving.

As he stood beside Commander Tano, arms crossed protectively against his chest, Cody silently begged Obi-Wan not to wear himself down. Force-exhaustion was a very real threat to any Jedi who pushed himself too hard.

And Cody had complete faith in his general's ability to overextend himself, as he'd done time and time again on the battlefield.

He just hoped today wouldn't be one of those times.

"Cody?"

Commander Tano's voice was confused.

"Hmm?"

"Who is Tenneth? And what's Grandma's deal with Obi-Wan?"

A grin stretched Cody's lips, hidden nicely underneath his helmet.

Cody had never before been more excited about answering a question than he was this one.

* * *

The city resembled more of a sleepy town, caught in some sort of alternate dimension where no wars raged and the terms _Jedi_ and _Clone Trooper_ held no meaning whatsoever.

Obi-Wan fought hard to regain some semblance of self-control, of dignity as he hurried into the thoroughfare.

_Anakin mustn't ever find out how you've exhausted yourself getting here,_ he thought absently, trying to steady his ragged breathing. _He'd have a fit and then he'd probably kill you for nearly killing yourself like this._

_Oh, the irony._

It was true, however ironic it may be. Ever since Lanteeb, Anakin had been a bit _overly_ -protective of his Master's wellbeing.

_Well,_ Obi-Wan justified as he located what appeared to be the general mercantile of the town, _what he doesn't know won't hurt him._

And he must never know that Obi-Wan had covered more than seventy-five klicks in a dead Force-sprint—a thing he doubted many Jedi had been foolish enough to attempt.

Any thought of Anakin inevitably sent Obi-Wan's mind plunging into a whirlpool of "what ifs." Pretty soon, he wouldn't be able to pull himself out again from the murky waters. Then, both he and Anakin would be lost in a world of pain—him emotionally, his apprentice physically.

_No. There is no emotion, there is peace._

_There is peace… and serenity… and—_

"Good afternoon," a foreign voice began, pressing into his thoughts like the sharp tip of a needle on skin—and it startled Obi-Wan just as much.

"Ah, yes, uh, good afternoon," he replied, closing the distance between him and the counter in two strides. He ripped the note and vial from his belt pouch. "I have a prescription from Doctor Izen that I need filled. It's urgent."

A dark cloud settled over the clerk's face as he took the note from Obi-Wan. "Hmm, I don't know."

"What do you mean?" Panic seized him, clenching at his rapidly pounding heart.

The clerk merely shook his head and shuffled over to his shelf of prescription vials. "I just don't know."

Pins and needles pricked at Obi-Wan's flesh, a nervous body's way of waiting.

And, oh, how he wished the feeling would stop! His stomach was giving him enough trouble as it was, twisting in knots and showing off its somersaulting abilities.

In his growing panic and dread, Obi-Wan failed to notice three strangers saunter into the store, patiently waiting their turn as next in line.

"This antidote," the clerk informed, a hint of disappointment lacing his tone as he approached his customer once more, "I'm all out of it."

Obi-Wan's face lost all color. "What? I'm afraid you don't understand, my brother is sick, he needs this medicine. Without it he'll—"

_No, don't say it. Don't—_

"Well, I'm terribly sorry. I have this stuff on backorder. I expected it in from Memph yesterday but it never arrived."

_No, no, no!_

The seeds of desperation that had planted themselves in Obi-Wan's soul began to sprout, springing rapidly up and around his veins.

Nearly suffocating him.

"I've got to have that antidote. My brother's too ill to go another day without it."

"Perhaps it's set to arrive today." The man was trying to be optimistic, he truly was. But Obi-Wan found his own usual optimism fleeting. "Tell you what, let me go into the back for a second and check the shipping stats. Wait here for just a minute."

As he turned to leave, the clerk nodded to the newcomers standing near the door. "I'll be with you as soon as I can."

One of them mumbled something incoherent, but Obi-Wan paid him no mind. Instead, he leaned against the counter, resting his weary head in his hand.

"Too bad about your brother," a gravelly voice consoled, though there was a distinct lack of empathy in his tone.

Obi-Wan didn't even spare him a glance.

"What happened to him?"

"Juaal attack," Obi-Wan replied in a tone that could only be described as sullen. "Blaster wounds on top of that."

The stranger remained silent for a few moments, contemplative, before speaking again. "Could be that this brother of yours was up in the Teertyn Cliffs section. Do you know where that is?"

It was this that pried Obi-Wan off the counter, his eyes wary, yet hopeful.

_Do these men have something? Some special knowledge about those beasts that I don't?_

_Knowledge on how to save Anakin…?_

"I'm not a native to this region," he began, "or to this planet, even, so I'm afraid I'm not certain as to where the accident occurred."

"It's not every day you meet someone who comes to Otumniof their own free will."

"Well, I wouldn't quite say I'm here because I'd like to be, nothing against your planet, of course."

"None taken. It's a sleepy little place we have here. Too sleepy to warrant much foreign traffic."

"My team and I followed a distress call," Obi-Wan explained, offering the man his hand in a gesture of civility—a civility he didn't feel at that moment. "General Kenobi."

"General?" The man's eyebrows rose. "In the Grand Army of the Republic?"

"That's right."

"A _Jedi_ General, I'm assuming?"

"Yes, but I do believe we're getting off-topic. They were cliffs, yes, where my brother was attacked. I wasn't a party to that little excursion, though. Are you from around there?"

"Yeah." The man eyed him and Obi-Wan felt a small shiver trickle through his body. "Yeah, we're trying to build a little spread up in those parts. Been at it for three years now."

_Three years. I've been fighting this war for almost as long._

"We found that juaal," the man continued. "He was dead."

"Yes," Obi-Wan mused, stroking his beard, "my captain told me as much."

"We also found a DC-17 handheld. Republic made, by the looks of it."

"That's a very common blaster model. It could belong to anyone."

Holding up a finger, the stranger dug into his satchel and pulled out what could only be identified as Rex's blaster. "Look familiar?"

"Yes. That's my captain's. Thank you for bringing it in." Obi-Wan reached for the weapon, forcing a smile. "Despite evidence to the contrary, I guess there's still some honesty to be found within our galaxy after al—"

When his fingers closed, they wrapped around pure air.

"The boys and I," the stranger began, having pulled the blaster out of Obi-Wan's reach, "we _wanted_ to bring it in. Wanted to find out who panicked the herd of wild kzysters we'd just rounded up. They busted through our fences, scattered through our land, stampeded our equus."

Obi-Wan didn't have the energy to feel any true remorse, but he played the part well. Most of him was just too boggled by the foreign animal names, having no clue what they even looked like. "Yes, I'm terribly sorry about that. It must've happened when my student fired that blaster. It was an accident on her part, I assure you."

"An accident? Seems reckless and inconsiderate to us."

"Yes…" Obi-Wan carded a hand through his hair. "I suppose it would appear that way to you. How much do you think it will cost to make repairs?"

"Well," he glanced back at his friends, "since it was a _Jedi_ what done the damage…"

_I beg your pardon?_

"5,000 credits."

Obi-Wan forced himself to remain calm, to not balk at the outrageous amount.

"That is… quite a large sum. I'm afraid I don't have anywhere near that much on me at the present moment, but I would be happy to collect your contact information and wire you the funds once my team and I get back to Coruscant."

"Coruscant's a long ways from here," the man remarked, the muscles on his neck flexing noticeably. "The boys and I, we don't—"

The clerk chose that moment to return and Obi-Wan could've sighed with relief, but that would have given the wrong impression.

Still, the temptation was strong.

"That antidote," the clerk began, his eyes downcast, "it's still in Charrif."

"Charrif," Obi-Wan repeated. "Where's that?"

"About twenty-one miles from here, one town over."

"And where in Charrif would I find it?"

"At Dunbar & Sons, but you don't mean to tell me you're thinking of riding all the way out there so late in the day."

"If you lend me something to ride, yes. I have to."

The clerk scratched his head. "Well, I have an extra speeder bike you could borrow…"

"You'll be compensated handsomely for it, I can assure you."

"Well, never mind about that. Just bring it back when you're finished."

Obi-Wan accepted the note and vial back from the clerk. "You have my word, sir. And thank you."

As he made for the exit, an idea struck him and turned to the three strangers.

"Look, if you'd be willing to ride out to the Waldar farm and inform my commander, Cody, that I had to go to Charrif to retrieve the medicine, I could see about compensating your losses when I return."

The leader only nodded.

"Wonderful. Now," he addressed the clerk, "where is that speeder of yours?"


	13. Thirteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s about a half hour til Tuesday, so I thought I’d just post anyway. XD

"Any change?"

Ahsoka started, blinking away the sleep that had nearly consumed her.

"Rex," she greeted, her voice groggy. "No, his fever is still very high."

"The other boys," he noted, nodding at the sleeping troopers, "they're hanging in there, but the poison is spreading fast. I don't know how much longer they have."

"At least they can rest in peace," Ahsoka remarked grimly before glancing down at her Master, who continued to fight the infection and pain inflicted upon him by several blaster bolts to the chest. "At least they weren't shot at by a maniac."

She felt Rex kneel beside her. "You're not a maniac."

"Then why do I feel like one?"

"Commander, it wasn't your fault. It was an accident. You're shouldering too much responsibility for this."

"Or maybe I'm not shouldering enough." She stood, wanting the conversation to end. "I need some air. Will you watch him for me?"

"I'll guard him with my life, Commander."

She smiled, though it felt more like a grimace. "I'll be back in a minute."

"Take your time."

Suddenly short of breath, Ahsoka quit the room and headed for the porch.

"Dearie! There you are! Come and try one of my tarts! They're fresh—"

But Ahsoka didn't have time for Grandma right now. She needed air, an escape.

She needed Anakin.

Picking up her pace, she had barely reached the small wooden porch when several speeders buzzed into view.

"Is this the Waldar farm?" The taller of three men inquired in a gruff voice that sent Ahsoka's skin tingling.

"Who wants to know?" She returned, crossing her arms in defiance behind the safety of the porch railing.

The man's eyes glinted. "We do. We're looking for a Commander Cody."

As if on cue, Cody materialized along with Riff and Boil from behind the corner of the house.

"Cody," she said when they joined her, noticing the sharp look of distrust in his eyes, "they're for you."

The clone in question turned towards the unexpected visitors and took a slight step forward. "What's your business here?"

"You Commander Cody?"

"I am."

"My name is Dowd." The man vaulted out of the speeder, and Ahsoka thought he landed a little too close to the house for comfort. "Me and my friends have been working on a spread up in the Teertyn Cliffs."

Cody simply stared, waiting for the man's explanation to end.

"We found your captain's blaster."

Dowd tossed Rex's blaster at Cody's feet and Ahsoka stiffened, dreading what this man might say next.

"You all were doing some wild shooting up there a couple days ago."

"Where'd you hear this?" Cody asked, the essence of calm.

"We met your general in town. He told us. By the way, he said he was gonna ride up to Charrif, get some of that medicine you needed."

The pounding of her heart doubled. _Obi-Wan… he has to go even farther to get it._

Cody swallowed, then nodded, his movement tight. "Thank you for the message."

_He has to ride even farther, and it's all my fault._

_It's all_ _ **me**_.

Riff's sudden presence at her side pulled her out of her toxic mind.

It was then that she noticed the men were still standing there.

"Well…" Cody began, a bit more hesitant this time, "what can I do for you?"

"You can pay me for the damage you did."

"What?"

"That wild shooting you did," Dowd continued, "it stampeded some wild kzysters. They broke through our fences, scattered our herds. Cost us some valuable equus."

"How much?"

Dowd quickly eyed his buddies and Ahsoka felt dread sprout within her stomach.

"Ten thousand credits," he said at last.

Boil let out a low whistle.

"For what?"

"Do I have to itemize?"

Cody's grin was mirthless. "For ten thousand credits, you do. How many of these, uh, _equus_ did you lose?"

"One-hundred and fifty heads. They're scattered all over the district. Do you wanna round 'em up?"

"Well…" It was Riff who spoke now, his firm tone nearly startling her. "At twenty-five credits a head, that comes to about here thousand, seven hundred and fifty credits."

"Forty credits a head," Dowd insisted.

"Where? Naboo?"

"They're my equus and I say they're worth forty credits a head."

"Still, that only comes to six thousand credits. Now, that leaves about four thousand unaccounted for."

"The buildings they trampled, that's at least two, _three_ thousand credits." Dowd grinned. "I'd say ten thousand would cover it just fine."

"I didn't hear you mention anything about trampled buildings," Cody cleverly reminded. "Only fences. And how much would a ruined fence cost to repair around here, sir?"

He was addressing Riff now, who smiled. "Only a couple hundred credits, depending on the length. So unless they're building fences that stretch clear across the cliffs, I wouldn't estimate the cost to be any larger than three hundred."

"That's easy for you to say," Dowd snapped. "You have this whole farm, and you," he pointed at Cody, " _you_ have the Republic to back your every endeavor. You all don't want for anything. Our spread was our life, and now it's gone. How do you account for that, huh? A spread that you destroyed!"

His finger jabbed into Cody's chest with a ferocity that matched Ahsoka's pulsing veins.

"Look," Cody began, and she figured this was when he would point the finger at _her_ and shift the blame. But all he said was, "I'm sorry, really, I am. But it will have to wait."

"Wait for what?"

"Wait until I can get up to your place and take a look for myself."

"There ain't gonna be no waiting, _Commander_. We want our ten thousand credits right now!"

"Well, I'm afraid that's the way it's gonna have to be."

"Now," Riff began, stepping up beside Cody, "I'll give you all ten seconds to get off my property."

"All right, Commander," Dowd said, backing towards his speeder. "We'll go, but you'll _pay_. One way or another, you'll pay."

As Cody and Boil watched the braves ride into the distance, Ahsoka reached for Rex's discarded blaster.

"You shouldn't let them upset you," Riff said. "This planet is full of the likes of them, men looking anywhere they can to make an easy few credits."

"And _easy_ _few credits?_ " Cody muttered.

"Please," she sighed, closing her eyes against the oncoming headache. "Please, Riff, I'm not in the mood."

"I'm sorry." And she wondered if he truly was. "I didn't mean to upset you, honestly. The trouble is, we Otumnians, well," he smirked, "we can't help sticking our noses into other people's affairs. Not when there's a chance we can help them."

His hand on her shoulder was the last thing she felt before he drifted back inside to find his Grandma, or read… or whatever the man did in his spare time.

Then, her world grew numb. She couldn't find any feeling past the drumming in her chest.

"I'll…" She swallowed, knowing Cody was waiting on her move. "I'll go return this to Rex."

"Commander," he began, "he'll be back soon. You know the general. He won't let us down."

"I know." Her voice was barely a whisper. "I… I'm going to check on Anakin."

Cody only nodded, his brown eyes betraying a hint of his own concern for Master Kenobi.

With one last thought, Ahsoka glanced back. "Keep a look out for his return?"

"Way ahead of you," he replied with a half-grin. "Boil was just on his way to replace one of our sentries."

She nodded, not as reassured as she'd hoped to be.

_Come on, Master Obi-Wan…_

_Come on._

_Come on…_

* * *

A thick blanket of purple and black had enveloped Otumni by the time Obi-Wan began his return journey, medicine in hand.

As he pushed the speeder bike to its limits, he could only think how grateful he was that it wasn't _him_ this time. He still didn't feel one-hundred percent after his extended Force-sprint into town.

_Oh, come now. When have you ever felt one-hundred percent during this blasted war?_

Still, he kicked the machine into the highest gear, having given up on fighting against the icy wind that whipped mercilessly against his face.

_I'm coming, Anakin. I'm coming._

A sharp click was his only warning before the engines jammed, spinning the bike out of control. Obi-Wan heard more than felt when his body slammed into the rocks. The sickening thud was accompanied by a crunch that spelled danger for the Jedi Master. Where the bike landed when it followed, he couldn't tell. His head was spinning too fast, rendering the world incomprehensible.

The Force murmured multiple warnings, but Obi-Wan's sole focus at the present moment was the pain.

The pain and how in the _stars_ to get past it.

He felt utterly drained, almost content to lie there for the rest of the night. Almost.

They needed him. They all did.

His family needed him, and there wasn't a second to lose. Thoughts of them began to swirl about his brain and soul.

It was Cody who dissipated the cloud fogging his mind; Anakin who got his limbs moving; Ahsoka who pushed his body off the ground…

… But it was Obi-Wan who stopped himself halfway up before his forehead collided with the barrel of a blaster.

_I knew it,_ he thought briefly as he fixed the three strangers with his most menacing glare.

"Take his weapon," the leader said, and Obi-Wan recognized them instantly as the men from the mercantile.

This was no random stalling of an old engine—this had been a carefully calculated attack.

As one of the barves made to grab his lightsaber, Obi-Wan drew upon every ounce of strength he had left, shoving the man far beyond the jagged rocks with fierce, invisible hands.

The Force seemed to desert him after that, as he didn't have the energy to summon it again.

Pain exploded through his skull and he crumpled to his knees. Still gasping for air, for energy, Obi-Wan tried to tune into his surroundings, but to no avail.

Everything was a blur of color and sound, distorted and inaudible.

Someone was rifling through the pouches on his belt and he wrenched their arm away, but not before they took _it_. And he knew they had. He couldn't feel its elongated bulge against his side.

"Stop," he heaved, blinking hard. "You… you need to be careful… with that… that medicine. It's for… for…"

"Your brother. So we've heard."

Vision still swimming, Obi-Wan made an effort to stand, clutching his ribs as if the action would ease their pressure against his lungs.

"He… needs it. Desperately."

"Sure he does, Kenobi. Sure he does." A beat; Obi-Wan swayed. "But we need our damage credits desperately, too. You tell your Commander Cody that."

"Don't you understand?" Obi-Wan winced, cursing himself for riding so blindly into a trap. "A man's life… depends on that medicine! Several… lives!"

The stranger made all the appearance of contemplation, but Obi-Wan knew this wouldn't end peacefully.

"You can have it," he said at last. "For ten thousand credits."

_Ten thousand—?_

As a Jedi, Obi-Wan was brought up to control his emotions, his temper, and for the most part, he did this with success.

But at that moment, Obi-Wan only saw red—a swirling cloud of red that encompassed his dying Padawan.

He took a step forward, fist balled tight. "You'd best give me that medicine…"

And then he lunged.

The hands that grasped the vial could have just as easily strangled the life out of the man before him.

And Obi-Wan found it difficult to care. The stranger was despicable, abominable, and Obi-Wan was through playing games of survival.

He'd done that once before and he wasn't about to do it again.

The struggle was short lived, for just when he thought he had the upper hand, another detonator exploded in his skull, the result of a blaster barrel to the side of the head.

And this time, he was helpless to prevail over the vicious currents of unconsciousness.

So, he drowned in the endless sea of black.


	14. Fourteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan returns at last and Riff gets some backstory.

"So, here's the plan." Fives wrapped a friendly arm around Tup, who looked as though he wanted to be anywhere but with _Fives._

Ahsoka rolled her eyes, observing the scene from her chair on the porch. Cody was watching over Anakin at the moment and had suggested she get some fresh air.

The sun had set long ago, yet the hour wasn't late. They could stay there for an age and she would never get used to Otumni time.

"Now," Fives went on, "you're gonna go in there and ask Grandma for your cookies."

"My… cookies?"

"Yes, one for each hand. Come on, Tup, stay with me here. And then, you'll come back…"

"Yeah?"

"With the cookies…"

"Yeah…?"

Fives grinned. "And give one to me."

"Why would I give you one of _my_ cookies?"

"Because…"

Ahsoka held back a laugh, settling for a smile—one of very few she'd indulged in since the accident—as she waited for Fives to come up with a good excuse.

"…sharing is fun…?"

Tup remained unconvinced. "Why don't _you_ just go in there and get your own cookie?"

Fives coughed, muttering something under his breath.

"What was that?"

"I said, I already had my fair share!"

"Ah." Tup pulled away from his friend. "So, Grandma's put a cap on the sweets for you, huh?"

"Just go in and get the cookies, will ya?"

"All right! All right, I'm going!" The private retreated to the front door. "But I'm eating them both before I come back."

"What? Why?"

"Because they're mine, and you've already had your fair share."

Ahsoka had to bite down hard on her tongue to keep the laughter hidden as Fives muttered a string of curses.

"Don't look at me!" she said when he glanced her way, a hopeful look on his face. "I think I've had _more_ than my share already."

"Figures." Heaving a sigh, he plopped down next to Ahsoka. "Think he's really gonna come back?"

"Oh, I think he will," she said, "but not with cookies. Sorry, Fives. Better luck next…"

She straightened.

"Uh, Commander?"

A figure on a cart approached from the distance.

_Master Obi-Wan…_

Her legs were moving before she'd even made the conscious decision to stand. With Fives close behind, she raced towards the crude vehicle.

Finally! Anakin was going to get his medicine! Finally! Fin—

She slowed as the figure came into full view, heart sinking.

The man before her was a stranger.

And she was getting pretty tired of strangers.

"Great," she muttered, hand hovering over her lightsaber. "What does this one want?"

"Maybe he's another one of the barves who're trying to get all those credits from us."

Ahsoka frowned, drawing her saber as the cart and some sort of foreign animal plodded closer. "He better not be, for his sake."

"State your business here," she commanded when the man pulled to a halt mere inches in front of them. He had a hard face that betrayed signs of a long hidden softness around the edges.

Brown met blue in a contest of stares

"I was about to ask you the same thing, young lady," he replied in a road weary tone. "What are you doing pointing a weapon at me on my own land?"

Realization dawned on her swift and sudden, and she lowered the saber. "You're Riff's father?"

A nod and a sigh. "I take it he found another batch of folks to help? Well, what is it this time? Are you two eloping? Running from the authorities? Parents giving you trouble?"

"What? No, nothing like that. We're…" She glanced at Fives, who simply shrugged. "It's a long story."

With a flick of his head, he invited them up for a ride.

"Thank you, but it's not her far to the house from here."

He grinned. "I know, but it will give you both time to explain yourselves."

Another glance at her friend told her he was just as clueless as she.

So, up they climbed.

Fives graciously let Ahsoka explain their plight, only interjecting where he was involved. As their story progressed, the old farmer's face darkened.

_He's going to throw us out. Who in their right mind would house a bunch of wounded soldiers?_

"Your son has been very kind to us," she said by way of conclusion. "And… we understand if you want us to leave."

The man only grunted.

Fives eyed Ahsoka, doing nothing to hide his nervousness.

"Sir," she continued, "we didn't mean anything by our intrusion, but we—"

"Your Master." His grim tone had her mouth clamped shut in an instant. "How bad off is he?"

"The doctor said the medicine is his only hope."

Another grunt. "There's something you should know about that antidote."

"Sir?" It was Fives' turn to speak now, concern bleeding through his confused tone.

"I've seen it used before, and it doesn't always—"

"Commander!" Rex's sharp call had Ahsoka sitting bolt upright. She hadn't realized how close they'd come to the house already. "Commander!"

"Rex, what—"

"It's General Skywalker," he panted, having sprinted a good distance. "He's not looking good. You'd better come quickly."

With a quick vault, she was out of the cart and dashing alongside Rex towards the house.

_Don't die, Master! Not yet, please! Don't leave me!_

When she arrived in the sick room, a strangled whine tore at her eardrums, followed by a low groan.

_Anakin…_

It was painful to watch the way he writhed in agony on that tiny cot.

"Ahsoka…" he moaned, thrashing about under his blankets. "'Soka?"

She was kneeling at his side in seconds. "Master! Master, I'm here! I'm here! Master—"

"'M shot…" Another whine. "Ahsoka! Ahsoka? I'm shot, I'm shot… 'Soka…"

Tears blurred her vision. She couldn't see him, couldn't hear him over the low buzz that had started up somewhere inside of her.

_He's out of his mind… He's hallucinating._

She blinked. Hard.

"Oh!" Anakin cried out, hurrying the side of his face in his pillow. "Oh, Ahsoka, _please!_ Help me! I'm shot! I'm shot…"

_Come back to me, Master… Please…_

"I'm here, Master. I won't let anything get you, I promise! I'm here…"

"Ahsoka…" His breath was ragged now, his head whipping this way and that. "I've been shot… 'Soka, help… me…"

"I know, Master. I _know_." The tears flowed freely now. "Obi-Wan is coming. He's _coming_."

She barely registered Fives' hand wiping a damp cloth over Anakin's forehead.

"It's the fever that's got him," Jesse murmured from his place beside the basin of cool water. "We need to keep it down the best we can until General Kenobi returns."

"Right," Rex said with a tight nod. "Don't worry, Commander. He'll be all right."

"It's not right," she bit out, not daring to look at any of them. "All this waiting. All this _suffering_. No doctor, no medicine. What chance does he have, Rex?"

The captain only swallowed. It was then that she noticed Riff and his father hovering in the doorway, useless in every aspect but their worried faces.

"What kind of a planet is this?" She cried, swiping her tears only so that she might see them clearly. "How can you even stand it?"

"The fever," Mr. Waldar began slowly. "It means something inside him is fighting hard. Fighting for life. You mustn't let it upset you."

Ahsoka could have laughed. "Upset me? It's too late for that. You have no idea what we've all been through! He could be _dying_ , and you stand there telling me not to be upset?"

Then, she did laugh. A hysterical, half-crazed sound that grated against her skin.

The old farmer just gazed at her, his bright eyes glimmering with a light she knew once danced about her own eyes. Once upon another time.

"Don't give up hope," he pressed softly. "Not yet. Not when there's still so much hope to be had."

Feeling suddenly overwhelmed, she burst from the room in a mad dash, craving solitude. A quiet place to sit and cry.

"Ahsoka…" It was the first time Riff ever called her by her true name.

And she hadn't even given it to him yet.

She hadn't heard him come up behind her and she absently cursed her frayed Jedi senses.

Her sniffle wasn't a sound she ever wanted to hear again, but she couldn't help herself. As she wiped her palm against her burning red eyes, she said, "I'm sorry about your father. For lashing out like that, I mean. I didn't… I wasn't thinking."

The words were wooden, forced, but the Waldar's had been so kind to her so far, and she truly hadn't meant to lash out.

"Anger isn't…" Another sniffle. "... The Jedi way."

"I'm sure he understands," Riff replied after a moment, coming up beside her and leaning against the porch railing. "With one thing piling up after another. I told him about those men, you know. And your general having to go all the way to another town just to get medicine that, by all rights, should be readily available."

She nodded, her next words coming out as a breathy whisper. "How do you stand this horrible country?"

"Sometimes, I wonder."

This confession startled her.

"I was just venting," she explained quickly. "I… I thought you liked it here. This planet, this countryside, I thought it was your home?"

"Like it?" A mirthless bark of a laugh escaped his lips. "I _hate_ it. I've hated it from the moment I saw it."

"But… Then why—"

"Otumni, it's a lawless world, Ahsoka. The Republic has no presence here because they know they wouldn't be able to control it even if they stationed a million troops here. It's a place where strangers come knocking at your door because they think they can get something from you, and if they can't, they'll find some other way."

Ahsoka sucked in a breath.

"It's a place where monsters run wild, uncontrolled. Where doctors are scarce and good neighbors are even rarer." He crossed his arms, fixing his eyes on something Ahsoka couldn't see—would never see. A distant memory she realized she was about to become privy to. "When my family and I first landed on this miserable planet, do you know what I saw? A man with a spike through his chest, his tongue hanging out, blood draining faster than his life. He had stolen four heads of equus, that's what they said to us."

"Why did you come?" Ahsoka asked as another tear trailed down her cheek.

"Because of my father."

_Oh._

"He wanted to come out here?"

"No. I insisted that he come out here."

"But… I don't understand."

For a long moment, Riff said nothing. Then: "My father is going to die soon."

Her heart skipped.

"Twenty years of swallowing thorilide on Gorse. The doctor told me that… Well, if he could have a change, he might live a little longer. So we wanted to come to a clean, _invigorating_ climate."

She didn't miss the way he bit out the last words.

"Your father… Does he know?"

"Yes. He knows he's ill. He calls it the 'Cynda Chest.' Cynda is Gorse's moon and he told me it had a better ring than the 'Gorse Chest.'" Another dry chuckle. "How could I tell him the truth?"

"What if he gets better?" _There's always hope._

She caught herself the minute she thought it, the irony biting her hard in the chest.

"Then I'll stay here. Permanently."

"Even though you feel the way you do?"

When he turned to her, his face overcast, eyes resigned. "He's my father."

And that was it. End of conversation.

They stood together for a while after that, each caught up in their own tortured minds.

_Could you stay here if Skyguy had to? If it turned out that his only hope for survival meant staying on this miserable planet?_

_Would you do it?_

_And what about master Obi-Wan? Could you leave him here alone?_

_Could you ever leave any of them?_

It was a question she thought she could answer easily.

But when she thought of a lifetime on Otumni…

_You'd have Anakin, though._

She didn't know.

She just didn't know and it killed her.

_If you had to walk away from the only life you've ever known for your Master…_

_Would you?_

_Could you?_

Clearing her throat, keeping her eyes glued to the black horizon, she said suddenly, "I'm sorry. I haven't even thanked you for what you did for us last night."

Riff only shrugged it off, flashing her a knowing smile.

"Why did you help us? If everyone around here is so cruel and selfish, as you said, why take the chance with us?"

"There was something… different about you all. I don't know. When your captain first approached me, well, I could tell that he was the kind of man who'd return the favor. If the roles had been reversed, would you have helped my family?"

She smiled lightly. "We actually came to this planet because we were following a distress signal. A call for help."

"And did you?"

"Did I what?"

"Help whoever sent the call?"

The corners of her lips tugged down into a frown. "No. It was… just a false alarm."

_Sure. A fake alarm turned Seperatist trap._

Flicking her eyes up at the sky, she wondered when the droids would start invading.

_Unless they're here already, scouring the hills for us._

It was then that she realized she would drag her Master clear across the planet if it meant keeping Riff and his family safe from a droid attack.

Because she was a Jedi. A keeper of the peace.

But she was also a soldier, and as such, it was her duty to protect the innocent.

Her Master would understand.

When the time came, she would do what she had to.

They all would.

"Your Master," Riff began, "I think he's going to be all right. You have nothing to blame yourself for."

A heavy sigh wracked her frame. "I hope so."

"Commander Tano!"

For the second time that night, Ahsoka nearly wrenched her neck snapping it to attention. The call came from around the corner of the farmhouse and both youths wasted no time in closing the necessary distance.

A sharp gasp stole all the air from her lungs. Just around the corner stood a bruised and bloodied Obi-Wan, hovering mere inches from a worried Cody.

"Master Obi-Wan!" She exclaimed, her boots frozen to the ground.

"I knew it!" Cody cried. "General, I _knew_ you shouldn't have gone alone!"

White as a sheet, a stark contrast to the dark red blood trickling down his temple, the Obi-Wan swayed. "Shut...up...Cody…"

Cody and Ahsoka both lunged forward just in time to stop Obi-Wan's limp body from hitting the ground.

"Medic!" The clone commander's shout was instinctive. "I need a medic over here!"

Instinctive, yes, but entirely useless in the barren wasteland that was Otumni.


	15. Fifteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Does Obi-Wan still feel guilty for not saving Qui-Gon? Yes. Yes, he does.

"They took Anakin's medicine."

Obi-Wan didn't know which hurt worse, his head or having to bear the sight of Ahsoka's fallen features.

"There's no easy way to put it," he continued, wincing away as Grandma pressed an ice pack to his temple. "They hijacked my speeder and stole it right out of my pouch."

"Who?" Ahsoka probed, brows furrowed. "Who took it, Master?"

"The men I met back at the mercantile. The ones I sent up here. They didn't—Ah!" He hadn't meant to give the pain a voice, but the sudden chill caught him off-guard, the ice stinging nearly as much as the cut itself. "They didn't give you any trouble, did they?"

"Nothing we couldn't handle," Ahsoka quipped a bit too easily for his taste, her arms folding across her chest. "But that's not important right now. Why did they take the medicine? Do they still have it?"

Obi-Wan gave a careful nod, trying not to move much under Grandma's stinging ice. "They want ten thousand credits for it."

"Kriff!" Rex muttered, turning away with a huff.

"They tried to pull that stunt on us, too, General," Cody explained. "Apparently, that's how much they think it will cost to repair the damage caused to their property."

A gloved hand closed around Obi-Wan's chin and he ran his fingers over the dirt-coated beard. "Really? They told me the damage was worth half as much when I met them in town. Either way, we don't have anywhere near that amount on hand."

"It's starting to look like their only chance lies in us getting a distress call past the blockade."

"I'm afraid you're right, Cody." Obi-Wan swallowed a sigh, resisting the urge to shut his eyes.

He just wanted to block it all out, make it all disappear. But he couldn't. No one could.

They were truly on their own.

_And if Anakin dies because of my inability to hold my own against those barves…_

_Well,_ he thought grimly, _I don't know if I'll ever even_ _ **try**_ _to forgive myself._

"Can't we go after them?" Ahsoka asked, her voice straining with emotion. "Force them to give it back?"

"Do you even know where to begin searching?" Obi-Wan couldn't suppress the snappish tone, try as he might. "It would only result in a wild bantha chase, and I'm not prepared to waste any more time we don't have, are you?"

It was when her normally vibrant blue eyes glazed over that he glanced away. He couldn't bear to see her cry, not when he felt close so tears himself.

"Ten thousand credits," she choked out in a small voice. "What kind of monster holds _medicine_ for ransom? How could they do something like that?"

"How?" It was Riff who spoke now, and Obi-Wan didn't have to lift his eyes to know the young man's face was red with rage. "You tried to tell me, but I wouldn't listen. They can do it because… because out here, it's a jungle. Of animals and savages, where one tries to destroy the other."

"Now, Riff." Grandma's voice was nearly emotionless, a stark, stony contrast to her usual chipper tones. "Ease up a bit, won't you?"

"Ease up?" The boy took a step forward. "Yeah, I'll 'ease up.' When all this is over, I'm going to go someplace where a man can live like a decent human being. But first,"—Obi-Wan caught the look he gave Ahsoka and made a mental note to do some digging on the state of their relationship later—"I have something I need to do."

In a flash, the boy had crossed the room and was breaking open a large chest. For a brief moment, his eyes met his father's, who had hovered in a corner for much of the conversation.

As he pulled out a blaster rifle, Obi-Wan pushed himself to his feet.

"I'm going after them."

"Riff!" Grandma cried, dropping the ice pack on Obi-Wan's foot. "It's too dangerous!"

"I'm afraid I can't let you," Obi-Wan said carefully, making his way towards the angered young man.

"And why not?" Riff's eyes blazed. "I brought you all here to help you, and those barves only want to tear you apart, just like that juaal did to your men." He charged up the weapon. "I'm sorry, but I can't let them walk all over us anymore. You might be able to sit and take it, but I've taken all I can. It's either fight back or choke, and I'm tired of suffocating."

As Riff made for the door, Obi-Wan rested a firm, restraining hand on his quivering shoulder. "Don't let them reduce you to their level."

_Not you, not me, not_ _**any** _ _of you._

"Don't let them win by making you think you've exhausted all other options."

"But we have, haven't we?" He asked. "What else is there to do?"

"Break through the blockade," Obi-Wan replied, exuding a confidence he didn't quite feel. "If we can get a message to the Republic, they can bring us proper medical care."

"Does your precious Republic know how to treat juaal wounds? They can't bring the right antidote."

"Then they'll bring an army, and one way or another, we'll get that medicine back. But we'll do it the right way, _without_ revenge in our hearts."

A beat. Then another.

It took several painful moments but Riff finally calmed down.

"All right," he sighed. "All right. But I'm not putting the gun away. They're going to return to get their money and I refuse to be unprepared when they do."

"Now," Obi-Wan said with a small smile, "you're thinking like a true soldier, not a brigand."

After that, everyone slowly seemed to drift off to attend to one thing or another. Rex and Cody left to begin brainstorming, along with Riff, who offered his assistance and knowledge as a resident of Otumni. Grandma went back to her baking, thankfully leaving Obi-Wan alone for the time being.

Ahsoka started the journey into the sickroom, no doubt to go tend to Anakin, but not before Obi-Wan noticed her fingers wrapped tightly around the lightsaber at her belt.

She'd been ready to follow Riff, that much was clear, and it left him wondering how far she would've gone.

Would she have taken out her emotion and rage on those men? Or would her training—and more importantly, her _conscience_ —finally caught up with her at the last minute?

Obi-Wan could only hope it would've been the latter.

_That's all you can ever do for them in the end, isn't it?_ He watched her disappear, feet glued to the floor at the paralyzing thought. _Hope._

_Is that truly the only control I have anymore?_

_Do my words mean anything? More importantly, would she even have listened?_

It was always a gamble with Anakin, who seemed to be his own man these days, and rightly so.

Ahsoka, on the other hand, had always looked up to him not only as her Grandmaster, but as a friend and mentor.

_Has my failure today tarnished our relationship? Her view of me?_

_Am I still someone she can look up to?_

Or was Riff Waldar and his heated passions the new role model material?

His head spun just considering the fact. It wasn't true, he knew; it couldn't be.

But he had to wonder…

How could Ahsoka have any faith in him to get them all out of this mess when he barely had any faith in himself?

_Oh, Anakin… Wake up…_

_Please._

_I need you._

This need manifested itself in a sudden jerk to his feet, pulling him towards the sick room, erratically pulsing his blood.

_Anakin…_

When he arrived-Ahsoka hot on his heels-he found Anakin resting all but peacefully. His breaths were short and irregular, his hair clinging tightly to sweat-coated skin.

Obi-Wan swallowed, thrusting a fist to his mouth.

The young Knight looked even worse than before. Before Obi-Wan had left to get the medicine.

Before it all went so horribly wrong.

Behind him, Ahsoka let out a small whimper. It was the sort of sound that could so easily fracture Obi-Wan's already breaking heart.

"This wasn't supposed to happen," she cried softly. "Padawans are supposed to protect their Masters, to keep them _safe_! Not just let them die!"

Obi-Wan stiffened against the unwanted memories flooding his mind.

_Naboo._

_Theed._

_Qui-Gon…_

"Ideally, yes," he said finally. "But I'm afraid some Padawans just aren't capable of such a task."

"What? Why… why would you say that? Is that supposed to make me feel better? You… you think he's going to… to…"

"I'm merely speaking from experience." The words came out harsher than he'd intended, but there was no going back now. "I'm not a prophet, Ahsoka. The future is always uncertain, always in motion. Unlike that past, which is unfortunately set in stone. Now, I'm sorry, but I've got to find Cody and come up with some sort of plan to get a message through this blasted blockade and to the Temple."

And just like that, he left her behind, quitting the room before he suffocated in the wake of his own shortcomings.


	16. Sixteen

_How could he say something like that?_

Ahsoka swiped a sweaty palm across her cheeks. The last thing she needed was for the boys to see her cry.

Only Anakin had ever seen her shed tears.

_After all, a reputation's a reputation,_ she thought vaguely as she pressed a cool cloth to her Master's forehead.

His fever hadn't let up since they'd arrived and Ahsoka was beginning to believe it never would.

_Never say never_. She remembered Anakin's words as clearly as if he'd just said them to her now.

"Don't worry, Master," she whispered as Anakin let out a small moan, "I won't let you die."

_I won't. I promise you._

All they needed to do was get past the blockade…

_Stang!_ Why did things always have to be so difficult?

"Commander?" Fives' sudden appearance nearly scared her out of her skin.

"Force, Fives! You could've given me a heart attack!"

"Sorry, sir." He looked properly remorseful. "I'm just here to relieve you."

She shook her head, tendrils swishing with the vigorous movement. "I can't leave him. Not when he might be—"

"He's not gonna die, Commander."

"How can you be so sure?" Her voice was smaller than she'd intended.

Fives let out a light chuckle. "He's survived this long, hasn't he? I mean, I can list more than a dozen missions right now that should have killed General Skywalker." Ahsoka winced. "But, he's still here, still fighting. And I have no reason to believe he won't remain like that for a long time to come."

Silent, she nodded. A half-believing, somewhat cynical nod, but an accepting one nonetheless.

"Now, why don't you get some rest and let me take care of things for awhile."

Another nod. This time, she barely managed to hold back the tears. Her feet were carrying her out the doors and into the front yard before she could even think of retreating.

And when the tears finally came, she was helpless to stop them.

No one would bother her in that dark corner behind the porch, where she sat and cried for longer than she could ever remember crying.

_He's going to hate me if he survives this._

A sob.

_Then he'll abandon me; hand me off to some other Master._

A whimper.

_And why shouldn't he? I screwed it all up._

_He deserves so much better than me…_

In her agony, it took Ahsoka several moments to notice the soft hand resting on her shoulder. A slight turn of her head revealed Obi-Wan kneeling beside her.

She didn't grace him with a welcome, still stinging from his earlier statement. Instead, she waited for him to make the first move.

And he did, just as he always did without fail.

"Ahsoka…" His voice was unusually subdued. "For what I said to you back there… It was uncalled for, and I apologize. I have no excuse for snapping at you. You don't deserve to be on the receiving end of my stress and I'm truly sorry."

A beat, then a sniffle.

_I don't deserve_ _**anything.** _ _I don't deserve to be Anakin's apprentice; I don't deserve Master Kenobi's apology—_ _**I** _ _should be the one apologizing to him for killing his Padawan and best friend._

Ahsoka swiped at her eyes, only to feel a fresh flood of tears come pouring out faster than she could stop it.

"Ahsoka!" Obi-Wan's worried voice reminded her of his presence. "Ahsoka, I'm sorry I upset you, but there's no need to cry!"

"It's n-not that," she sobbed. "I f-forgive you, M-Master. And I'm s-s- _sorry_!"

The hand on her shoulder moved to her back, creating soothing circles with a gentle care she'd never felt from her Grandmaster before.

"Shh…" Obi-Wan hushed. "Now, what's troubling you?"

She just shook her head. Over and over again, briefly wondering if she could make herself dizzy enough to pass out. Then she'd have a break from her damning thoughts, thoughts that made her question her own worth.

Thoughts that didn't seem to subside, no matter how hard she tried. They only grew louder and louder with each passing second.

_Master Skywalker was right all those years ago,_ she realized. _I'm reckless. Too reckless even for the Chosen One._

It was then that a whole new thought punctured her buzzing brain: _I'm going to be known as the Padawan who got the prophesied Chosen One killed..._

"Ahsoka," Obi-Wan pressed once more, "what's wrong?"

"What's wrong? I shot my Master, that's what's wrong! _Three_ _ **times!**_ "

"I mean…" He took a deep breath. "What's _really_ wrong?"

A beat.

She sighed. "I'm… afraid. I know it's not the Jedi way, but I… I can't help it."

"And what are you afraid of?"

"More than I should be. I'm afraid he might not wake up. I'm afraid my recklessness may have killed him… And that, if he _does_ wake up… he won't want me as his Padawan anymore."

Obi-Wan smiled, though she noticed it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Well, that's one fear I can put to rest."

"Really? How can you be so sure?"

"Because I know Anakin, and I know the nature of your relationship. He would never abandon you because of one mistake."

"I don't know… I _shot_ him, Master Obi-Wan! I shot him three times! No one wants a dangerous Padawan like me hanging around."

Another sigh, heavier this time. "Ahsoka, let me tell you a story."

"Is it going to be sad? Because I think I've had my fill of depressing news for one day."

"Just listen." Sucking in a breath, Obi-Wan began his tale: "There once was a Master and Padawan who were sent on a mission together to a war-torn planet. Their goal was to rescue a fellow Jedi, however, the Padawan decided to make aiding the children of that planet a part of this goal. His Master tried to make him see reason, reminding him that this was purely a rescue mission and that the Jedi weren't to interfere with such a complex civil war. But these children…" Here, Obi-Wan took another deep breath. "... They didn't know what they were doing, didn't know how to bring peace back to their home."

"Couldn't their parents help them?"

"Their parents were too busy _fighting_ the civil war. You see, this group of children, the Young, as they called themselves, were working to _stop_ the war, whereas their parents were happy enough to continue on as they had for generations. And this Padawan, well, he couldn't sit by and watch the Young die trying to bring about peace. He was a Jedi and he promised to help them. However, his Master continually reminded him of their original mission.

"When push came to shove, the Padawan rebelled, choosing to stay on the planet with the Young instead of returning to Coruscant with his Master."

Ahsoka stared at her grandmaster in shock. _What the…?_

She was almost too afraid to ask… "What happened to him?"

"After bringing the rescued Jedi back to the Jedi Temple, his Master returned for him. For some time, the Padawan was certain his Master wouldn't take him back. Not after what he had done. He'd been so sure of himself, that _he_ was right, that _he_ knew what was best. This Padawan wasn't much younger than you when he made his mistake, and though it wasn't the Jedi way, he was afraid, just as you are now. Afraid his mistake was too great to earn his Master's trust again, too great to even be called his Padawan. Do you know what his Master told him?"

"What?"

"'People are more than their worst acts.' Far more…"

_Now, why does that sound so familiar…_

The sudden warmth of Obi-Wan's hand on her shoulder calmed her anxious soul. "He took his Padawan back, Ahsoka. People don't deserve to be left behind in such a way based only on their past mistakes. Making mistakes is how we learn, how we grow. Jedi Masters don't expect their students to be perfect—far from it—and Anakin is _not_ going to abandon you because of what you've done."

She found herself wiping away the tears at last. "What…" she sniffled. "What ever happened to that Padawan?"

"Oh," Obi-Wan began, sliding a comforting arm around her shoulders, "I think he turned out all right, don't you?"

It was his wink that betrayed him.

Ahsoka couldn't hold back a gasp. "You? _You_ were that Padawan?"

"Well, it was _my_ story, after all," he replied with a chuckle. "How else would I know all those details?"

"I just thought it was a… an old tale or something."

"In a way, it is. It happened over twenty years ago."

"I meant, you know, something more ancient." She smiled. "You're not _that_ old, Master Obi-Wan."

"Well, thank you, Ahsoka, but I'm afraid Anakin would disagree with you."

"No, thank _you_ , Master. I… I'm still afraid, but I feel more confident that Skyguy will take me back if he wakes up."

"Don't you mean _when?_ "

She allowed herself a small smile. "Yeah. I guess so."

* * *

"Without the proper equipment, there's no way to get a message through that blockade." Rex sighed. "Even _with_ the proper equipment, we still wouldn't have much of a chance."

The hour was late and it showed on all their faces. Rex couldn't remember how long ago General Kenobi and Ahsoka had joined him and Cody, but it had to have been a few hours at the very least. Riff had shown up shortly after that, along with his father who, though Rex would only ever admit it to himself, was extremely intimidating.

Lacking a comm hub or any sort of battle strategy station, the haggard crew had gathered around the kitchen table. It certainly was no substitute, but it was round like a planning station and Rex figured that had to count for something.

"We're not here to discuss what we _can't_ do," General Kenobi said, "but rather, what we _can._ Now," he began with a new thought, directing it towards Mr. Waldar, "what sort of communication equipment do you have in your possession?"

"Master Jedi," the man said in a weary tone, "if I had any equipment, don't you think I would've given it to you by now?"

In response, the general stroked his beard, ever the contemplative one.

"What about the city?" Ahsoka suggested. "Would they have something there we could use?"

"I was just there," General Kenobi replied dryly. "I can assure you, they do not."

"Well, there has to be _something_ ," Cody pressed. "What if we put our comlinks together? Create a larger, more powerful device."

Rex put on his best unimpressed face. "Powerful enough to sneak past a Separatist blockade?"

"Did you have a better idea?"

Again, the general spoke up, his eyes still fixed on the center of the table as if willing a holomap of strategies to appear. "The goal here isn't to be inconspicuous. The Separatists already know we're here or else they wouldn't have sent the false signal for us to follow. No, all we need to do is get our communications up and working again. The question is: did they only jam _our_ signals, or those of the entire planet?"

A collective _hmm_ filled the kitchen, punctuated by Grandma's timer going off. As much as Rex loved the elderly woman, he wasn't sure why exactly she was baking this late into the night. He had a sneaking suspicion it had something to do with the general, but he wasn't one to pry.

_Besides, there are more important things to think about other than whatever is going on between Grandma and General Kenobi._

_What_ _**is** _ _going on between them…?_

Breaking away from his thoughts, Rex scanned the faces of his crew. Ahsoka seemed thoughtful, but he wasn't sure if she was really thinking about the blockade or her injured Master lying in the next room over; Cody had a hard stare fixed on the direct center of the table; the Waldars were engaging in some sort of wordless conversation.

But General Kenobi… Well, he didn't appear to even be present anymore. Sure, he was still standing in the same spot he'd occupied for the last few hours, but his mind was most certainly elsewhere.

When a Jedi zoned out like that, went to some other place or other memory buried deep within their subconscious, Rex couldn't help but feel a little freaked out. It was so unnatural.

But if it helped in the end, who was he to complain?

"The mercantile…" General Kenobi said suddenly after a few long minutes of silence. Rex's head whipped around, joining the several eyes that fixed themselves intently on Kenobi. "The clerk at the counter. He did something in the back room to locate the medicine in Chariff. How could he have done that without some sort of equipment?"

"And whatever he used," Ahsoka elaborated, catching on quick, "still has a signal."

"So," Cody said, "they're only jamming our comm signals, then."

"Which means any other form of communication can slip past the blockade," Rex added.

"Hopefully." He glanced at Cody. "If they don't have some sort of transmission blocker in place."

Several depressed _oh_ s trickled through the room.

"Well," General Kenobi seemed to radiate confidence, boosting the morale of everyone present with a mere word, "we can't give up until we've exhausted all our options. Even then, I would hope we would keep trying." His smile was oddly reassuring, even though it didn't quite reach his eyes.

No one's smile really did these days.

"This time," Cody spoke up, eyeing the general, "you're not going alone."

A spark of humor lit up the general's face. "Who ever said I was going to be the one to go?"

"Come on, General, it was a given. And if anyone even _tried_ to dissuade you, you would brush them off and do it anyway. I'm merely cutting out the middle man."

"Well, I can't say you're wrong. All right," General Kenobi began, placing a firm hand on the table, "we'll need two groups. One to make the journey to the city and the other to stand guard here."

"Do you really think those guys will come back?" Ahsoka asked, somehow voicing Rex's own thoughts.

"I know they will, Ahsoka," the general replied. "They still want their credits, and,"—a shadow fell across his eyes—"they still have our medicine."

Rex didn't miss the way Ahsoka flinched. The movement was slight, nearly unnoticeable.

But Rex noticed—he always noticed.

Which is why he also saw the way the general suppressed a shiver before straightening and taking a glance about the table.

"Rex, you and Ahsoka will head the team here. When those mercenaries come back, don't meet their demands unless you absolutely have to. Find some way to get the medicine back without jeopardizing your lives or the lives of the wounded. Cody and I will check things out with the store manager."

"He's not going to be open, much less awake, at this time of night," Mr. Waldar informed.

"Hmm… That might complicate things." General Kenobi stroked his beard again and Rex could practically see the wheels turning in his mind.

"We don't have time to waste, sir," Cody reminded.

"I suppose we'll just have to wake him up, then."

"That, or break in," Riff offered.

"Thank you, but I think we'll stay on the right side of the law for now." The general flashed a tight smirk before continuing. "Rex, Cody, round up every soldier who can walk and brief them on the plan. Mr. Waldar, how fast can your equus travel?"

"It depends on how motivated she is," he replied with a shrug.

"And how can we best motivate her."

In response, the man turned to his mother. "Ma, are those biscuits ready?"

"Just about! Tenneth, dear," Grandma said with a wide grin, "you can be the official taste-tester."

"Uh, I believe I'll pass." Rex had never seen the general so flustered. "At least for now," he continued when Grandma's face fell visibly. "You can save me one for later."

Beaming, Grandma went back to her oven.

Clearing his throat, cheeks flushed, General Kenobi turned back to his crew. "I'm sure however fast she can go will be far quicker than any speed Cody and I could achieve. Riff, you arm everyone with blasters and any other weapons you have lying around."

Riff saluted. "Of course."

"Ahsoka, you'll need to find Jesse and gather what medical supplies we have left. Something tells me these men won't go down without a fight."

"We're ready, Master."

A look passed between them that Rex couldn't quite decipher. Whatever it meant, it warmed his heart. He hadn't seen his young friend look so confident since… Well, since the accident.

Memories of that night still haunted Rex's dreams. _If I had only been faster; communicated better._

_Maybe then we wouldn't be in this mess._

"Good," the general said with a nod. "Now, let's get moving before—"

A single blaster shot ricocheted off the far wall, having pierced one of the living room windows.

"Everybody down!" Kenobi shouted, even though most of them had already dropped to the floor.

"You were saying?" Cody said, a smirk playing across his lips.

"Change of plans," Kenobi replied. "Cody, round up the men."

"Right."

The commander was gone in a flash, darting out of the kitchen with a fierce caution. Ahsoka's hand was on her lightsaber in seconds.

_This is it,_ Rex thought as he fingered his blaster pistols.

"I must say, I didn't expect them so soon," the general quipped as they readied their positions.

_Time's up. It's do or die now._

_And General Skywalker is_ _**not** _ _going to die._

Rex crouched at the window beside Ahsoka.

_No one is. Not if I can help it._


	17. Seventeen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends! And to those from other countries, I’m so thankful for all your support! <3

Obi-Wan tried not to curse. It wasn't very becoming of a Jedi, and he didn't want to startle Ahsoka. Cursing was more up Anakin's alley, anyway, and Obi-Wan knew it would sound a bit off to all around him if it came out of his mouth.

So, he thought up a string of silent curses instead.

"Kenobi!" The angry voice split the night and Obi-Wan recognized it as the leader of the three mercenaries.

His hand flew to his belt, only to come up empty. _Blast!_ Those brigands had stolen his lightsaber during the speeder crash.

And apparently, they hadn't seen fit to return it yet.

_Obviously,_ he scolded himself. Blindly reaching out with the Force, he searched for another weapon.

In seconds, a blaster rifle was in his hand, having been passed down the battle line by Riff, who was busy unloading the chest of weapons.

_So uncivilized,_ he thought with distaste before passing it along to Mr. Waldar, who was crouched beside him.

"It looks to me as though you could use a rifle, sir," he began, watching the conflict dance across the man's face.

"I'll warn you," Waldar replied as he accepted the weapon, "I'm not very familiar with these. That's more my son's thing."

"Well," Obi-Wan responded with a smile, "we all have to learn sometime, now don't we? Just position yourself in front of this window and stay down."

With a nod, Waldar switched places with Obi-Wan, who quickly made his way to the front door.

Situated neatly at the top of the beautifully carved wood was a glass window. Its yellow tint made it difficult to get a good view of the outside, but Obi-Wan would have to manage.

Another warning shot shattered the window nearest Ahsoka and she rolled out of the way.

"I don't think they're here to negotiate, Master!"

"They'll have to," Obi-Wan replied, using the Force to pull a hand blaster out of the chest. It still was no elegant weapon, but it was easier for him to manage than a rifle. "Remember everyone! Don't shoot to kill. They have something we need."

"Master!" Ahsoka called and Obi-Wan turned just in time to catch the silver saber hilt flying towards him.

The second of Ahsoka's green-bladed, dual lightsabers. He grinned.

With a nod, he accepted the temporary gift. "Thank you, Padawan."

"Of course. I know how you detest blasters. Don't worry, we'll get yours back in no time."

Several shots were exchanged before the voice came again, demanding and over-confident. "Ten thousand credits, Kenobi! And we want it _now_!"

"How exactly do you expect us to pay you that much?" He called in return, slipping slowly across the room to where Waldar's mother sat crouched in a ball. "It seems like it's in your best interest to simply take my word that you'll be paid as soon as I can wire the funds from Coruscant."

"And why would we take _your_ word?"

In the brief silence, Obi-Wan whispered, "Mrs. Waldar, when I give you the signal, I want you to make a dash for the other room and take care of the wounded." To the lowlifes outside, he shouted, "Why wouldn't you?"

"All right, Tenneth, dear," she whispered back.

And then, to Obi-Wan's shock, she gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

Briefly stunned, he glanced about. Fortunately, no one seemed to be paying him much attention.

"Have I given you any reason not to trust me?" He continued, trying to keep his voice from sounding flustered—and trying not to burn under Mrs. Waldar's loving gaze.

Then, he gave her a tight nod, which sent her sprinting across the room. When the blaster bolts came raining down, as he knew they would the moment their attackers saw any sort of movement, Obi-Wan was ready with Ahsoka's lightsaber. Deflecting the bullets was the easy part, it was deciding _where_ to deflect them that complicated things.

If he sent any of them spiraling towards his friends, he would never forgive himself. But the kitchen was so small and the living room wasn't much bigger. This severely limited his options.

After a heated few seconds, Mrs. Waldar made it safely into their makeshift medical center and Obi-Wan heaved a visible sigh of relief.

The volley of shots didn't let up, but then, Obi-Wan hadn't expected them to, though the hope had always been there. He signed quickly to Ahsoka, who nodded, before sticking half of his body out the smoking door. If he could only deflect a few of the bullets back at the men, perhaps he could take them down without mortally wounding them…

Ahsoka was at his side in an instant, helping him draw their fire away from the family inside.

_Where is Cody with our backup?_

When a stray bullet whizzed a little too close to Ahsoka's left tendril, Obi-Wan realized they'd been out stalling long enough. Despite her protests, he hauled her back through the door and bolted it securely behind them. Several shots lodged themselves in the wood, a few even making their way through the thick material.

"We had it under control out there!" She exclaimed as he pulled her further away from the door. "Now they're just going to fire at the Waldars again!"

"You don't think we can handle ourselves in a firefight?" Riff exclaimed before Obi-Wan could even open his mouth.

"Your father didn't sound too confident," she retorted, refusing to sheath her lightsaber.

"That doesn't mean we can't hold our own. We'd faced quite a lot by ourselves before you came around!" As if to prove his point, Riff fired his rifle out the window once more, hitting the porch lamp.

"Right, because that shot was _so_ well-aimed!"

"All right, children," Obi-Wan said, stepping in before the conversation got out of hand, "that's enough for tonight. Perhaps if you two spent as much of your energy defending this farm as you did fighting, this battle would be over by now."

Neither party spoke, but Obi-Wan didn't miss the look of shame that flashed briefly across his Padawan's features.

"Yes, Master," she gritted out.

"Good." Next, Obi-Wan turned his attention to Rex. "Captain, take Riff and cover the back windows. I don't feel like dealing with any sneak attacks tonight."

"You're not the only one, sir," the trooper replied with a nod. "Come on, kid."

Riff followed, muttering all the way. Obi-Wan just smirked.

_Reminds me of Anakin…_

A young Anakin, an immature Anakin.

An I-know-everything-and-you-don't Anakin.

With a pang, his thoughts flew to the boy on the bed. That's all he was, really: a boy. Of course, he'd matured enough over the years, though he still retained that reckless streak, but the war had forced him to grow up faster than he should have.

When Obi-Wan was Anakin's age, he was still a Padawan learner.

And oh, did he still have so much to learn, even now.

_We all do, I suppose._ He deflected another bright red bolt back out the window. _I only wish this war wasn't forcing us to learn it at such a quick pace._

There had been so much he'd wanted to teach Anakin, so much knowledge given to him by his own Master that he couldn't even begin to unpack in a lifetime. And now that Anakin was a Jedi Knight with a Padawan of his own, well… Sometimes Obi-Wan wondered if Anakin felt he was above learning new things. As if by graduating to the rank of Knight he had been given all the knowledge and power in the universe.

_If we'd only been given more time, him and I._

But war waits for no one, as proven by the fresh barrage of bolts that riddled the side of the farmhouse.

Obi-Wan ducked for cover, keeping an instinctive watch on Ahsoka.

_Blast it! Where is Cody?_

Waiting out the onslaught was all they could do for the moment, and leaning crouched against the wall brought Obi-Wan's mind to a sudden realization: if Anakin died because he didn't get that medicine, what little time they had in between battles would become _no_ time at all.

_I still have so much to learn from him… Perhaps even more than he could ever learn from me._

"What's the matter, Kenobi?" The leader of the group shouted as if giving voice to Obi-Wan's fears. "Ain't your brother worth it?"

In response, Obi-Wan fired a series of shots in the direction of the voice.

"Master!" Ahsoka called between volleys, her lightsaber flashing rapidly. "Master!"

When he joined her in her own corner, she said what he'd been thinking for some time. "They're not going to stop until they get that money."

"I know. We have nowhere near that amount on us, and I doubt the Waldar's keep such a sum within arm's reach. But of course, they'd never believe me if I told them."

"Kenobi! We want that money _now_!" Ahsoka and Obi-Wan exchanged glances. "You want your brother to die?"

"Where's Commander Cody?" She whispered, trying in vain to hide a slight tremble.

"I don't know, but we're running out of time." After a quick scan of the world outside the shattered window, Obi-Wan leaned closer to the young Togruta. "Our best chance is if we pick them off one by one. I'm going out the side door." She nodded. "Cover me."

But when he offered her his blaster, the nodding stopped.

"Ahsoka?"

"I can't," she breathed, visibly recoiling from the weapon. Her reason why dawned on him before he could even form the words to ask.

"Ahsoka, listen to me," he began in his best general voice, "what happened in those cliffs was an accident. A freak accident that could have happened to anyone. For some reason, it happened to you, but you can't let your actions cripple you. People are more than their worst acts, remember? If you let what you've done control your life, it will trap you in a cage no one will be able to free you from except _you._ _You_ are in control of your mind, Padawan. _You_ get to decide what you are willing to let cripple your life as a Jedi, and right now, you _are_ a Jedi. You have great strength inside you, strength that comes when you know you've made a mistake and you do all you can to fix it." He held the blaster out to her, tightening his fingers around it's cold durasteel. "So, _fix it_."

She didn't even waste precious seconds thinking about it. The blaster was out of his hand in an instant.

Obi-Wan felt a warm smile tug his lips as pride welled within his chest.

"That's my girl. Now, cover me."

This time, she nodded before directing the blaster pistol out the window and into firing into the inky blackness.

Mr. Waldar holding his own against their adversaries was the last thing Obi-Wan saw before he slipped out of the house, his movement carefully concealed by Ahsoka's target practice.

It was darker out in the yard than it had seemed from inside, but Obi-Wan used the Force to navigate the sea of black. It faithfully led him to the nearest lifeform, one of the barves positioned against the porch railing.

With ease, he ignited his saber and held it mere centimeters from the man's back.

"If you value your spine, you'll stay put," he said and the man stiffened immediately. "Now, if you'll be so kind as to corporate without a fuss, I'll see if I can get you back into the house safely. No promises, mind you. Now move."

Just when he'd begun to believe things might be turning around in their favor, he caught sight of a shadow dart around the side of the house.

And it was headed towards the sickroom.


	18. Eighteen

"Hey, Tup, what did Grandma say earlier?"

Cody rolled his eyes under his helmet as he led the men around the back perimeter of the house.

_Two groups. Two groups and I had to get stuck in the one with Fives._

_Whose brilliant plan was that?_

Probably his, if he was honest.

"About what?" Tup responded, obviously not focused solely on his companion, as Fives was him.. _And rightly so._

"About the cookies!"

"Oh…" Tup sighed. "Now's not really the time—"

"If we die out here, I wanna go out knowing what happened between you and Grandma."

"She said I'd already had my fair share," Tup relented. "There, happy?"

"What? But… how?"

Cody rolled his eyes once more before turning on his troops. "You _do_ know that she thinks we're all the same person, right?"

Their silence was all the confirmation he needed.

"Oh." Fives said finally.

Cody let out another sigh, "Don't take it personally, boys. She's old. It's nothing against your individuality."

Again, nothing, prompting Cody to resume their stealth mission.

While he'd sent Group Two, headed by Boil, back into the house as backup for Rex and General Kenobi, he'd thought it best to lead his own group around the back.

_Sooner or later, those barves are gonna figure out they can't blast their way in and they're gonna employ more inventive tactics._

He tightened gloved fingers around his blaster.

_And we'll be ready for them when they do._

If their comms were only working, he could've sent his general news of this plan. But Luck hadn't been very kind to them these past few days.

He could practically hear his general's reprimand. " _There is no such thing as luck, Cody."_

_Yeah, right, sir._

As they continued to creep, a sudden thought struck Cody like a bolt of lightning on Kamino.

_Who's guarding the wounded?_

Heart pumping so fast, Cody could feel it in his throat and in his temples, he motioned for Tup, Fives, and Crys to pick up the pace.

"I want eyes in that sickroom, stat!" He hissed, relieved to see several nods of understanding.

_That's it, boys. Keep your minds on the mission._

As he led his team towards the only window in the room, he vowed he wouldn't be the soldier who let the Chosen One die.

_I'd rather die myself a thousand times before I let that happen._

_And neither's gonna happen tonight._

* * *

The fire blazed, never leaving him alone for more than seconds at a time. And those seconds were the most precious seconds of his life.

He couldn't recall a better moment than when the flames that licked at his blistered skin retreated.

_One… T-Two...Th-Thr—_

The heat was the most intense he'd ever felt, and it scared him to realize that this burning hole was becoming home. Someone had buried him within this heat and he just didn't have the strength to pull himself back out.

If he could even _find_ his way out…

Everything looked the same. Too dark, yet too bright. A painfully dull existence plagued by a cacophony of colors. Disorienting, yet still.

Too still.

He had to move, had to _breathe_.

The flames licked at him again, tearing at his sides and shoulders. Oh! His shoulders!

If someone had appeared and begun twisting a lightsaber around in shoulder, it wouldn't have hurt nearly as much as this current pain. This real pain.

Real…

It all seemed so real. But some of it wasn't, he knew. It couldn't be. The flames were real, of course, but the colors, with all their comings and goings and twistings and turnings—

They couldn't be real.

_Am_ _**I** _ _even real?_

_What_ _**is** _ _real?_

_These flames_ …

A scream tore from his throat. He had to get away but he just couldn't _move_!

"Ahsoka," he panted. "Ahsoka! 'Soka, I'm shot! I'm shot, I'm—"

Who _had_ shot him? Had he even _been_ shot? It would explain the fire, but…

_Fire… Blaster fire… Blazing flames…_

_Fire=Blaster fire=..._

…

_Fire…_

_Blaster…_

_Blast!_

_Shot!_

"I've been shot! _Ahsoka_!"

A groan escaped his lips and he bit down on his tongue. This only brought forth more pain from the depths—a well of pain and agony he thought he must have exhausted completely by now.

_Ahsoka. Ahsoka. Ahsoka…_

Another groan.

_Ahsoka… Where are you?_

_Why did you leave me?_

_Why did you abandon me to these flames._

It was during one of the short reprieves that he remembered a new name: _Obi-Wan_.

_Obi-Wan…?_

_Oh!_ _**Master!** _ _Master, Master! Help—!_

A sob caught in his throat. He couldn't breathe. The pain was back.

The flames. The heat.

_Oh, Master! I'm shot! I'm shot… Master… Help…_

_Ahsoka…_

_Ahsoka…_

_Help me…_

…

A breath. A flash of fire.

A jolt.

A burst of pain.

He moaned, the sound splitting his own eardrums.

And just like that, he couldn't hear, plunged into a silent void—a void that was worse than the flames.

He was suffocating.

Suffocation…

_That means dying, doesn't it?_

Yes, that must be it.

_It has to be…_

He was _dying_.

_M-Master… 'Soka…_

_Help me…_

* * *

Ahsoka couldn't recall the exact moment she felt her Master's Force signature flicker. One thing she would never forget, however, was the way her heart stopped.

For a full second, she couldn't feel anything, not her Master, not her own heartbeat.

_Anakin!_

Then, he was back again, but the signature was so faint, almost as if it wasn't even there at all.

Another flicker. This one sent her heart racing.

"Mr. Waldar!" She called out after firing a volley of shots. _Master, I'm coming!_

"What is it?" It must have shown in her voice. _Blast it!_

There was no hiding her fear now. "Cover me! Something's wrong with Anakin. I need to…" What?

_What?_

What could she really do? Be at his side during his final moments?

_No! Fives promised! He's_ _**not** _ _dying! Fives promised…_

"On my signal," Waldar instructed, and before she knew it, she was dodging blaster bolts in a desperate sprint to the sickroom.

It was dark when she arrived. Too dark. The green glow from her saber only extended so far.

And quiet. _Very_ quiet. The click of the door closing echoed louder than the roar of a thermal detonator.

_But Grandma…? Where's—?_

Something was wrong. Only, she realized it mere seconds too late.

"Drop your weapon. _Now_."

Instead of obeying, she lifted her saber higher, casting its glow on the shadowy, yet familiar face.

"I said don't move!" He hissed.

"What? You really think you can kill me?" A bitter laugh bubbled within her throat. "The way I see it, the odds are three against one, maybe only one half. And they're not in your favor."

"I don't have to kill you. Not when I can kill _him._ " It was then that Ahsoka noticed where the barrel of his blaster was truly aimed. A sick smile spread across his dark face. "And I bet his death'll hurt just as much as yours—perhaps even more."

Every muscle in her body froze, yet she couldn't bring herself to deactivate her weapon. He had read her like a book. _How?_

It took effort to put her stone-like Jedi mask back in place, but somehow she managed. "What do you want?"

"Dowd wants that money," he replied. "I do too."

"Naturally," came Ahsoka's retort. If she could make herself sound confident and assertive, then maybe—just _maybe_ —she could distract him long enough to all for backup.

Or to disarm him herself.

_No! Don't jeopardize Anakin's life any more than you already have!_

"And you're gonna give it to us," he pressed. "Or I swear I'll blast open the skull of every single man in this room, starting with him."

_Think, Ahsoka,_ _ **think!**_ _Stang! Master Obi-Wan is so much better at this than I am!_

She stifled a gasp. _Master Obi-Wan..._

If she could reach him through their Force bond, then maybe…

"I'm getting impatient!"

"Yeah?" She smirked. "I am too. Look, we just don't have ten thousand credits on hand, all right? I mean, who carries around that kind of money?"

_**Master Obi-Wan?** _

Nothing.

"You Jedi are so high and mighty. I'd think such a sum would be easy to come up with."

_**Master Obi-Wan!** _

"Not during a blockade," she reasoned, all the while keeping her senses tuned and Anakin in sight.

"A blockade? There ain't no blockade on Otumni!" The man laughed. "Never has been."

_**Ahsoka? Where are you?** _

Relief flooded over her, though she was careful not to show it. Obi-Wan had heard her. She took a second to silently thank him for accepting her suggestion of a Force bond between them, a thing generally only formed by Masters and Padawans.

_**Master! I have a situation in the sickroom.**_ It was plain and simple; to the point. Yet, she still felt a surge of anxiety on his end of the mental conversation. _**I need backup.**_

_**I'll be there as soon as I can.** _

She sent a wave of thanks through the bond before cutting the connection.

"Well, I suggest you take another look," she told the gunman, "because there _is_ a Separatist blockade hovering over your precious planet as we speak."

Several emotions flickered across his face. "You have ten seconds to get me those credits!"

"How am I supposed to do that? I can't move, remember?"

This just seemed to make him angrier. "Maybe you just need some incentive…"

She knew what he was going to do before he even pulled the trigger. And when he did, the cruel sound sent her world spiraling in slow motion. Diving in front of Anakin's sleeping form was the only action she could see to take, but she couldn't make her body move fast enough.

Her Master was going to die, and it was all her fault.

_**Master!**_ She cried in desperation through their inactive bond. _**Master! I'm sorry!**_

_**I'm so sorry…** _

Halfway to her destination, a flying bulk slammed into her chest, sending her crashing to the ground.

_Too late… I'm too late!_

* * *

Someone had flung him out of the fire.

_**Master!** _

' _Soka…?_

Someone was on him, touching him. Someone real.

Were they real?

Or was this the end? Did the end of the flames mean the end of his life?

_Ahsoka… I'm shot…_

_Ahsoka…_

In the darkness that had begun to close in on him, he waited. Waited for the flames to return.

They always did, relentless in their quest to devour him.

But this time, he felt ready.


	19. Nineteen

Cody couldn't believe his eyes. The woman had to be at least eighty years old. At _least!_ She looked so archaic, so aged and wise.

But certainly _not_ agile. The way she moved about the kitchen told of hidden ailments, concealed pains that inevitably come with age. Never in a million years did he expect to see someone so elderly make a move like _that_!

"Whoa…" Fives breathed beside him, standing awestruck in the wake of Grandma's agility.

Honestly, would this woman ever stop surprising them?

"Did she just flip over that cot?" Boil questioned, his tone making it clear he was having a hard time believing his own eyes. " _With_ General Skywalker lying on top of it?"

"What…?" Tup began, but Cody cut him off.

"Don't just stand here! Get in there and take him out!"

The trooper was scrambling through the window like his life depended on it. And it very well might have, as Cody felt he could easily murder each and every one of these troopers if they didn't start moving _faster_.

Commander Tano was in trouble, as was everyone else in that room, and Cody was stuck outside waiting for his turn to climb through a kriffing window.

_Faster, boys, faster! Come on, come on!_

Just as his turn approached, everyone but Boil having successfully hauled themselves into the room, his general rounded the corner, a captive in hand.

_One down,_ he thought. _That still leaves two—one out here somewhere and the other in there._

"Cody," he said, "I need you to look after our friend here for me."

As if reading his commander's mind, Boil stepped forward and trained his blaster on the defeated mercenary. "You two get in there. I'll keep him safe for you." To their prisoner, he hissed, "I outta bash your skull in."

"And Boil?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Keep it civil, will you?"

Reluctantly, Boil agreed. "Yes, sir."

General Kenobi nodded before vaulting through the open window with an ease Cody was almost jealous of. But he'd decided long ago that he could never truly be jealous of the Jedi. As amazing as their talents and abilities were, their way of life came with too many taboos and forbidden elements. Sure, Cody was a dedicated soldier, but he liked the fact that he could fall in love and possibly get married one day if he so desired. Nothing held him back from loving, nothing forbade him from doing something else with his life when this blasted war finally came to a close.

In some ways, the Jedi and the Clone Troopers were similar—they both didn't get a say in the matter when someone high and lofty decided what they would be. The difference came when the war ended and Cody made the active choice to stay or leave. When General Kenobi saw the end of the war, he would still be a Jedi.

A life he hadn't chosen; a life he would be bound to for the rest of his days.

While he admired his general greatly, he would never want to be him.

So, he clambered up through the opening with the grace of a soldier because that's what he was. And he was ready to give his life for his men, for his Republic.

And for his general, if it came down to it.

Fortunately, it didn't look as though any of them would die that day.

When his feet planted firmly on the floor, Fives and Tup already had the gunman disarmed and on his knees. Grandma was dusting herself off, her appearance giving the allusion that heroic acts such as the one she'd just pulled off were an everyday occurrence.

Still, something was off; wrong.

_Where is—?_

That's when his amber gaze fell upon the scene in the corner.

_Oh… Kriff…_

Maybe he was wrong.

Maybe death lingered closer than he thought.

_Oh… Kriff…_

* * *

Anakin was on top of her, his limp, burning body crushing her beneath a weight she could barely withstand. With a gentle, yet firm brush of the Force, she guided him off to the side, making sure to lie him on his back.

Then, she took a deep breath, trying to steady her mind.

After that, everything happened too fast. Mere seconds ago, her life was moving at a Hutt's pace; now, she could barely comprehend the swirling world around her.

He wasn't breathing. _Why isn't he breathing?_

"Ahsoka!" Obi-Wan's voice was nearly lost in the chaos. "Ahsoka, what—?"

Thick walls of tears blurred her vision. She couldn't see him, couldn't _feel_ him.

_He can't be gone…_

She vaguely registered Obi-Wan's hand on her shoulder, pushing her out of the way. Then, his hands were on Anakin's chest. Cody was there too, hovering over Obi-Wan's shoulder.

And Ahsoka was trying her hardest not to completely lose it.

_He can't be gone…_

"Master Obi-Wan…?" Under different circumstances, she knew Cody would have warned the Jedi Master against Force healing at such an intense level. She also knew that no one could pry him away from her Master's body if they tried. "Is he…?"

Obi-Wan didn't reply for several painstaking minutes. When he finally spoke, his voice was worn; barely there. "He's alive."

Why didn't this declaration make her feel any better?

"And?"

" _And_ …" Obi-Wan let out a shaky sigh. "I don't know how long I can keep him this way."

A fresh onslaught of tears pricked the back of her eyes as Obi-Wan drifted back off into his healing trance.

_He's going to kill himself,_ she realized, watching him pour his energy into her fading Master. _Oh, Force! He's going to kill himself!_

Her fingers were around his arm in seconds. "No!"

"Ahsoka, what are you—?"

"I can't lose both of you." The pain in his eyes cut into her very soul. "What he needs is the antidote. They _all_ need the antidote. Without it…" She sighed. "Master, I know you want to try, but you can't keep them all alive."

"You should listen to her, Kenobi." At the sound of the familiar, gravelly voice, all heads turned towards the door. "Maybe if you listened to the people around you a bit more, you wouldn't be in this mess." Ahsoka's heart skipped a beat when she saw Dowd with his arm around Mr. Waldar's neck, his blaster digging into the farmer's side. "I'd have my credits, you'd have your medicine, and this old man here might get to keep his life."

No one moved.

"I'll give you one last chance," Dowd continued, his death glare fixed solely on Master Obi-Wan. "Ten thousand credits, or I'll pull the trigger and smash the bottle of medicine over his dead body."

A slight flex of her fingers confirmed Ahsoka's fear: somewhere in the chaos she'd lost her lightsaber.

"I'm listening," Obi-Wan said, the essence of barely restrained calm.

"I want the money, Kenobi! No more talk, just the money."

"Be reasonable. I'll give you every credit we have here in the house."

"Ten thousand credits," Dowd pressed, digging his blaster further into Mr. Waldar's skin.

"There are other things," Obi-Wan pressed and Ahsoka caught the flash of fear dart across his eyes. "Weapons, supplies, silverware, anything you want."

"Don't give it to him," Mr. Waldar said.

"Quiet, you!"

_Where are Rex and Riff when you need them?_ As Ahsoka looked upon the scene, helpless to do anything for anyone, she never thought she would find herself needing that boy. But she did. She needed _someone_ to do _something!_

Dowd didn't seem to be paying too much attention to her. _Maybe…_ _Just maybe…_

The silver saber wiggled in the corner of her eye. A subtle motion, but movement nonetheless. Slowly, carefully, she inched the weapon towards her.

_Almost there…_

It was when she was only seconds away from jumping into action that it all went to hell.

A scuffle at the front of the room broke her concentration. She heard Obi-Wan's strangled gasp; felt Cody's rage; _saw_ Mr. Waldar jerk to the side and wrestle Dowd for the blaster.

She was on her feet in an instant, saber in hand.

_No! No one else is dying today. No one else—_

She sucked in a breath, fully prepared to berate herself. _You're acting like your Master's already…_

As quickly as it all began, it was over, Mr. Waldar having gained the upper hand after catching Dowd off guard. The tables were now turned.

And finally, something was going right.

Obi-Wan was on his feet and at her side in an instant, green saber blazing and directed at the one man who might possibly have ruined their lives with his endless charades.

"Hold it!" He commanded as Dowd made a move for his blaster, which had been kicked to the floor by Mr. Waldar.

Though there was no time to reflect on the farmer's act of bravery, Ahsoka admired him all the same. Could she have done that if the roles were reversed? _Would_ she have risked her life like that? He could've very easily been shot through the stomach, orphaning his only son in seconds.

_Could I have even_ _**entertained** _ _the idea of costing Obi-Wan_ _**two** _ _Padawans?_

Her personal verdict was never reached, however, because Obi-Wan chose that moment to continue.

"Where's the medicine?" It was more of a demand than a question, and as he said it, Obi-Wan pulled his own saber off Dowd's belt and neatly into his hand.

Dowd's chest rose and fell a couple of times before he decided it was in his best interest to answer, and answer _fast_.

"In my pocket."

Obi-Wan nodded at their savior. "Mr. Waldar?"

Instead of handing the prize to the Jedi in charge, Mr. Waldar retrieved the antidote and gave it to Ahsoka.

She could've cried right then and there, not caring a wit who was present to witness such an uncharacteristic breakdown. It was so beautiful, so precious, shining like a cluster of Coruscanti stars.

As she closed the space between her and Anakin, Obi-Wan's bitter voice filled the air.

"If this medicine doesn't help my brother, I'm going to kill you."

Shock numbed every inch of her body. Had he really just said that? Had she even heard right? It sounded like something Anakin would say, and coming out of Master Obi-Wan's mouth…

She shook her head. He was just as stressed as she was—probably more, if she was honest. Anakin was _his_ Padawan, after all.

_But he's_ _ **my**_ _Master_.

_Oh, knock it off, Ahsoka!_ She scolded herself and kneeled beside Anakin. _Everyone in this room is going to be just as effected as you if he…_ She gulped. _If this antidote doesn't work._

"Cody," Obi-Wan ordered, not taking his eyes off Dowd, "take him to the shed around back and lock him up. Don't let him escape."

"With pleasure, general."

"Fives, Tup, take your prisoner out there as well."

"Sir, yes, sir," the troopers replied in unison.

"Oh, and Fives? Find Riff and Rex, will you? And the rest of the team. Debrief them the best you can and have a few of them aid in standing guard."

"Of course, sir."

"Come on," ordered Cody, shoving Dowd out the door by the butt of his blaster. Tup and Fives followed suit.

"Mr. Waldar," Obi-Wan went on, his tone softer now, laced with thin strands of weariness, "I can't recall the last time I've seen such presence of mind and courage."

The man in question flashed a sad smile and Ahsoka had to turn away. Back to Anakin.

Back to her patient.

She uncapped the medicine, wishing she didn't have to hear what she knew Mr. Waldar was about to say; what Riff had told her seemingly eons ago.

"Well, you see, Mr. Kenobi," he began and she forced herself not to cringe, "I'm dying anyway, so I had nothing to lose."

A shadow fell across the room. Ahsoka glanced back up.

_Oh, no._

"Riff brought me out here to this backwater planet in hopes that the climate would cure me." The farmer shook his head sadly. "But it's not going to make a lick of difference in the end."

At that moment, Obi-Wan's eyes drifted to the figure Ahsoka had been gazing at in fearful apprehension. His shoulders slumped ever so slightly. Then, he finally remembered to deactivate his lightsaber.

_Oh, Riff…_

When Mr. Waldar met his son's gaze, Ahsoka felt as though she were intruding on a private moment.

"Well," the father began, his sad smile never faltering, "now you know. You're not as smart as you thought you were, son."

"You…" Riff's lower lip trembled. "You old fraud, you…"

Father and son embraced after that, no other words necessary.

Yeah, she was _definitely_ intruding. But she couldn't leave her Master. Not again, not ever.

_Don't worry, Skyguy… I've got you._

Obi-Wan settled down next to her as she administered the medicine.

_You're going to be all right._

_I promise._


	20. Twenty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Awaken!

"Do you think that medicine will work?" Tup glanced at his companion. Fives' always looked confident. If he could feel for five minutes only half as confident as his friend looked, he would be set for life.

"Of course," Fives replied a bit too easily. "It has to work."

Tup only hummed his reply and began drumming his restless fingers on the table. Sitting in the kitchen while Grandma baked a round of cookies wasn't the same now as it had been before.

Before, they'd been trying to get the antidote for his general and his fellow soldiers. Now…

_Now that we have it, the only question left is whether or not it'll even_ _**work** _ _._

"Here, boys, have a tart while you wait."

While Fives downed his snack, Tup couldn't stomach another baked good. Not with so many brothers so near death in the next room over.

"Thanks, Grandma," he said anyway, ever the polite sort of soldier. He wondered briefly if she knew they were two different people, or if her failing mind was tricking her into thinking there was only one man dining at her midnight bakery.

A quick glance into the adjacent living room reassured him that his other brothers, the ones who had managed to avoid injury, were still sleeping soundly. He envied them slightly, imaging how good sleep would feel at that moment.

But General Kenobi's orders had been very clear: two guards in the sickroom, two guards in the main room, two guards on the porch, and two or more guards at the bunker. No doubt he was still at his post outside, watching over the front door to the quaint little farmhouse and all its surrounding lands.

_If anyone needs sleep, it's the general._

_And the commander…_

Commander Tano hadn't slept since… Stang, he didn't even know when. And he didn't think she was sleeping now, even though the general had ordered to get some rest. Sure, she was lying on the living room couch with her gentle eyes tightly closed, but he doubted she was actually asleep.

_Not with General Skywalker's life hanging in the balance._

As Grandma handed him a warm, fresh cookie, Tup resisted the urge to sigh. The aura of the house was already tense. He didn't need to add to that feeling with his depressing sounds.

So, he swallowed the heavy sigh and accepted the cookie.

"Tell me how you like that, then go see if Tenneth wants one, will you? I'll put the next batch in!"

Tip exchanged a glance with Fives.

This was going to be a long night.

* * *

For what was at least the fifth time since Obi-Wan had forced her to lie down, Ahsoka pinched herself awake. _Can't fall asleep until I know Anakin's okay…_

…

…

She pinched herself again, harder this time. With each passing second, staying awake was becoming more and more difficult. But she had to.

_I have to…_

_I… have…_

… _t—_

She jerked her hand back up on the couch after it fell against something soft and foreign. Cracking her eyes open revealed Riff's brown head of curls. Relieved that it was only him and not another juaal, she let her eyes close once more.

The boy had fallen asleep slouched against the front of the couch. He'd promise to help her stay awake by giving her arm a shake every few minutes, but that plan had failed hours ago, as proved by the soft snores that floated past her ears.

Perhaps she _should_ sleep, so that when Master Obi-Wan woke her up for her shift, she would be ready.

_**If** _ _he ever wakes me up. He seemed pretty adamant about me sleeping…_

And when did _he_ plan to sleep?

_Probably not until we're safely on a ship in hyperspace._

_No_. That would never do.

_He can't be dead on his feet when Skyguy wakes up tomorrow._

_**If** _ _he wakes—_

_No!_ She wouldn't let herself think like that. With Rex and Jesse keeping watch over the sickroom, her Master was in good hands.

She was on her feet and padding across the room before her sleepy mind could catch up with her body. The porch was her only destination, and Master Obi-Wan her only goal.

He would sleep tonight; he would _rest_.

Even if she had to drag his unconscious body into bed herself.

"Master Obi-Wan," she began the second her boots hit the porch floor, "you need to—"

"Shh!" Cody hushed, placing a rigid finger against his lips.

"What?" She mouthed and he nodded at the cushioned bench overlooking the eastern sky.

_Oh._

Somehow, the commander had gotten Obi-Wan to sit down, an amazing feat in itself. Then, he'd gotten his general to fall _asleep_.

Or perhaps her Master had finally just passed out from physical and mental exhaustion. Whatever the case, her job was done before it'd even began.

"How?" She whispered.

Cody smirked. "I threatened him with a trip to the medbay when we get back on the _Resolute,_ whenever that'll be."

"Nice." Crossing her arms, she studied her sleeping Master. She'd only seen him truly sleep a handful of times.

Once had been when they'd brought him home from Jakku.

A shiver wracked her body at the unpleasant memory. They had all recovered well from that horrific ordeal, especially Obi-Wan.

_The new question is: will we all be able to recover from this…?_

_Will_ _**I** _ _recover…?_

_Will Anakin—_

She shook the morbid thoughts away, then sat down beside her sleeping Grandmaster.

"I'll help you keep watch from here, Cody," she offered even as she snuggled up against Obi-Wan, eyelids heavy with a desire for sleep.

"Sure, Commander," he said, smiling. "Sure."

Ahsoka didn't remember much after that, drifting off into a sea of black, her thoughts fixed on Anakin until her mind shut down for the evening.

Blessing her with much needed sleep, just like Obi-Wan had wanted.

* * *

Obi-Wan waited until he heard Ahsoka breathing even out before cracking his sleepy lids open.

"Well, sir," Cody whispered, "it worked."

_It did, didn't it?_ Obi-Wan had known all along that even though he'd sent Ahsoka to the living room to rest, she wouldn't sleep. She was too worried about Anakin, a feeling he could relate to all too well.

"Of course it did, Cody, you thought of it, after all."

"Nice try, sir, but I'm still going to make you go to the medbay when we get back if you don't get some rest yourself."

"I _am_ resting."

"I mean _sleep_ , sir."

"Oh, yes, of course. Well, all in good time, Cody."

"No, _now_ , General."

Obi-Wan fought the urge to roll his eyes. He could pull rank, but even if he tried, a visit to the medbay would still be waiting for him upon his return to whichever flagship came to take them off this wretched planet.

And he preferred to heal his wounds in the good old-fashioned way, thank you very much. Meaning, waiting out his recovery with a couple of bacta patches and personally wrapped ribs.

"General?"

He sighed, figuring it best just to give in for the time being. He could always pretend to sleep after all, right?

"All right, Cody. You win."

His commander merely smirked.

"But I'm only closing my eyes for fifteen minutes."

"Make it twenty."

"Seventeen."

" _Twenty._ "

"Fine."

Another smirk.

Flashing his commander a frown that spoke of only mock irritation, Obi-Wan made himself close his eyes.

_Only fifteen minutes, then I'll check on Anakin._

_Just fifteen minutes…_

Then, like a giant wave on Kamino, all the action from the last few days caught up with Obi-Wan, pummeling him with exhaustion, and a fatigue matched in strength only by the kind he'd felt all those months ago on Jakku.

Back then, Anakin had come to rescue him. His greatest hope was that this time, he would be able to return the favor.

And if he could also rescue Ahsoka along the way, he would be complete.

_She still blames herself,_ his drifting subconscious reminded him.

_Of course she does._

_But she shouldn't._

_Neither should you,_ a tiny voice added from somewhere in the depths of his aching soul. _Neither should you._

It had taken him years to shake the blame he felt for Qui-Gon Jinn's death. Even now, he sometimes wondered if he'd ever truly forgiven himself.

_But Anakin isn't going to die. He has the medicine now. They all do._

_They're all going to be all right._

So why did he still feel the sickening pangs of guilt?

Cody grinned, allowing the feeling of satisfaction to wash over him, basking in its sweetness.

He'd played them both, and very successfully at that.

He knew his general hadn't planned on falling asleep, but his light snores told Cody this plan had failed miserably.

They were all exhausted, to be sure, but none near as tired as General Kenobi. Cody still hadn't forgiven him for pushing himself so carelessly to the limits during his journey to and from the city.

Or perhaps it was because his general was so car _ing_ that he wore himself down like that. He'd done it for the mission, for his ailing troops.

For General Skywalker.

Cody shifted his gaze from the two snoozing Jedi out to the vast lands of Otumni. His general cared too much sometimes.

But Cody knew he wouldn't ever want him to change. He just wanted his general to take better care of himself.

He briefly wondered what General Kenobi was like _before_ the war. Had he always been this dedicated, this sacrificial? And what had he been like as a child? A teen?

When had he turned into the man Cody knew today?

And would they ever escape this planet in order for him to continue his sacrificial existence?

Cody hoped so. For all their sakes.

And he hoped that one day, he might be able to imitate that same sacrificial attitude, and maybe others would as well.

And maybe, just maybe, if enough soldiers and civilians came to imitate this remarkable trait, the war would end a lot sooner.

Then the chaos would cease.

Then there would be peace.

Cody glanced back at sleeping Jedi.

_Peace._ It was such an illusion these days.

Maybe someday it wouldn't be.

But maybe that day would never come.

His eyes flicked back up to the expanse of glittering stars above.

Maybe they were doomed to fight forever.

_Is an eternity of war worth a moment of peace?_

Cody found he didn't have the answer.

And he supposed he never would.

* * *

Deep in the endless, black void all intelligent beings called the Galaxy, war raged on. Plasma cannons fired, ship shields faltered, and Republic fighter crafts dove and circled in their quest to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.

Overlooking the battle through an only slightly cracked viewscreen, a lone man stood, hands clasped firmly behind his back.

_Three days._

Three days they'd been fighting this blasted battle and still they were no closer to victory than they were when they began.

But this man was relentless in his quest. He _would_ come out the victor. He would _not_ be defeated.

The lives of so many depended on it.

And he refused to lose.

"General! They're breaking through our shields!"

"Are they boarding?" The tall man questioned, the essence of calm fury.

"It looks like they might have a chance, sir, yes."

Eye never leaving the scene of chaos playing out across the viewscreen, the man smiled, a plan forming in his mind.

"Don't stop them," was the order.

"Uh, sir?"

"Have all stations at the ready. When they arrive, we need to do our best to draw them in. While they're occupied with a false victory,"—he grinned again—"that's when our forces will strike."

_And we'll break through the line once and for all._

Yes, it could work. But only if everyone played their part to the letter. The enemy would be coming in hard and fast.

The tall warrior ignited his weapon, its violet glow reflecting lightly off his set face.

He was ready.

His only hope was that his enemy would not be.

* * *

It happened so slowly—so kriffing _slowly_ —that he almost didn't notice at first. So used to the feel of the flames was he—the intense heat, the suffocating silence.

When he realized it was finally _gone_ , he felt lost.

He'd spent so long fighting the flames, the heat, that without it, he didn't know what to do.

What couldhe do? There was nothing _to_ do except sit in the silence. The dark, eerie silence some might call peaceful.

His Master would call it peaceful, no doubt.

His Master would relish in the silence, the calm.

It was something he could never do. He needed action, needed something to fight, needed…

… _Master…?_

His Master…

He wracked his brain for a name—for _the_ name. The name that always solved all his problems; that rescued him from every messy pit he'd ever tumbled into.

The name… The _name!_

_Obi-Wan?_

He gasped for air, finding the substance suddenly lacking.

_Obi-Wan!_

Without the flames to dampen his mind, dozens of scenes began to flood his subconscious. A beast, a massacre, a hunt.

Ahsoka…

_Ahsoka!_

She needed him, he knew it. She was in trouble; she was crying.

She needed him and he couldn't pull himself out of his own kriffing mind!

_Stang!_

The flames were gone, that much was clear by the endless relief he felt continually wash over his body. But something else now held him captive, a new threat he couldn't identify. An unknown that kept him from his Padawan.

_Ahsoka…_

_Obi-Wan! Obi-Wan, help me! You have to…have to help…_

_**Help me…** _

* * *

Somewhere far down in the depths of his mind, past the dreams, past the nightmares. Far beyond any cohesive thought that tried to form during this heavy slumber that had overtaken him.

Far, far down…

Past memories long buried and lovers long forgotten.

Beyond his current comprehension of reality.

There, a voice echoed. Small, soft, but a voice nonetheless.

An anguished voice, a familiar voice.

A voice he had begun to fear he might never hear again.

_**Help me, Obi-Wan. Please… You have to help me.** _

Obi-Wan jolted awake.


	21. Twenty-One

_Ahsoka forced herself not to jump when Master Skywalker sat down beside her. That would look unprofessional._

_And she already looked bad enough in his eyes as it is._

_He inhaled deeply and she could almost sense the irritation and disappointment festering in his soul._

_Almost._

_They hadn't formed a Master/Padawan Force bond yet, so she had to rely on mere guesswork._

_Though, it_ _**was** _ _an educated guess, she had that much going for her. She could read people pretty well._

_Or so she'd always thought…_

" _You're reckless, little one," Master Skywalker began._

_Ahsoka winced._

_**Here it comes. He's going to send me back, I just know it!** _

" _You never would've made it as Obi-Wan's Padawan," he continued, plunging her spirit further into the depths of despair._

_She curled in on herself._

_**I'm a screw up. The biggest screw up the Temple has ever seen!** _

_Squeezing her eyes shut, she waited on baited breath for the words that would end her short-lived war career._

" _But," he said with a sigh and Ahsoka perked slightly at the sudden change in his voice, "you just might make it as mine."_

_And just like that, her mind exploded._ _**What?** _

_She lifted her head, a hopeful smile gracing her face._

_**He's not getting rid of me? I haven't disappointed him?** _

" _Oh," she breathed, "Master Skywalker, I… I won't let you down. Not ever! I promise."_

_Returning the smile, he stood, stretching as if he'd aged a thousand years since he sat down. Then, he winked at her._

" _I'm counting on it."_

_Ahsoka could've danced across the whole of the battleground._

_**He has faith in me. He's** _ **counting** _**on me!** _

_**I won't let you down, Master. Not again.** _

_**Never again.** _

_**Not** _ **ever** _**.** _

_As she hopped to her feet and began trailing behind her new,_ _**official** _ _Master, the young Togruta felt as though she could take on the world._

_And the best part was that she knew she wouldn't have to do it alone. Not when she had her Master by her side._

_They were a team now, and nothing but death could ever break them apart._

* * *

Someone stirred beside her, but Ahsoka couldn't force her heavy lids open. She was certain she was drowning. How else could she explain the intense weight pushing down on her mind. Exhaustion had never felt so damning, so final.

_Is this what it feels like to die…?_

_Die…_

Her heart jump-started in her chest, pounding so hard against her ribcage, she thought it might successfully jailbreak.

_Anakin!_

The memory pulled the trigger inside of her, freeing her from Sleep's heavy hands just in time to watch Master Obi-Wan dash into the house.

"Cody?" She gasped, not even trying to conceal her worry.

The commander just shook his head and shrugged helplessly.

_No… Oh, please, no!_

She was on her feet and pulling him through the door before he could finish saying "Come on, Commander."

_Hang on, Master!_ Her pounding feet matched her hammering heart beat for beat. _Hang on just a little longer!_

_Please don't leave without saying goodbye…_

During her mad dash, Ahsoka had prepared herself for the worst. For the sight of Obi-Wan kneeling over Anakin's lifeless form. For the sight of her Master taking his last, gasping breaths.

For death.

Every scenario she prepared for ended in death, which meant she was wholly unprepared for _life_.

The moment she set foot in the sickroom, the stale air brushed against her face as she brushed against their Force bond.

_**Master?** _

Then, he smiled at her.

_**Hey there, Snips.** _

"Well, I'll be…" Cody breathed, but Ahsoka had left him behind long ago. Anakin was her priority now; Anakin was the only one she could see and hear.

And _feel_. Kneeling down beside his cot, across from a grinning Obi-Wan, she clasped her hand in his. When he returned her grip with one nearly as strong, she could've cried.

It was only when Anakin lifted a shaky finger to her cheek and brushed away several droplets did she realize the tears were already falling.

"Master," she choked out, gripping his hand tighter. "Oh, Master!"

"Did you miss me?" His soft smile widened as she responded with a vigorous nod.

"You were missed by a great many people, Anakin," Obi-Wan said and Ahsoka picked up on the thin veiled emotion that clogged his throat.

"Master." Anakin's voice wasn't much more than a relieved croak. "Master, you…" He paused for air for what seemed like two lifetimes to Ahsoka. "You should've seen the way Snips clobbered that monster." Another labored breath. "Out there in… in those cliffs. She really got him good. She really got him. He's never… He's never gonna hurt any of our boys again. Never again…"

When he briefly closed his eyes, Ahsoka's breath hitched. _Come back,_ she couldn't help but think.

Seconds later, his eyes were open again, shining bright and blue for all the room to see. They held no trace of death or despair, only vibrant life.

"His fever's broken," Obi-Wan declared, flashing Ahsoka a weary smile.

"Will he be okay?" Ahsoka questioned, hoping upon hope this wasn't merely the calm before another storm. She was too soaked and windswept from the past few days to weather another monsoon.

"Well,"—here, Obi-Wan gave Cody a pointed glance—"I'm no doctor, as I'm sure you both are well aware, but I have a feeling he's going to be all right."

And for the first time since the accident, Ahsoka allowed herself to believe it.

_He's going to be all right. Obi-Wan says he'll be fine._

_Obi-Wan never lies._

_He's going to be fine._

_My Master is going to be all right._

* * *

For the fifth time in what must have only been ten minutes, Obi-Wan heaved a sigh of relief.

_Oh, Anakin. Don't you ever scare me like that again._

"I'll try not to." His Padawan's mumbled promise startled him. Anakin hadn't said much after he'd shooed away Ahsoka and Cody to inform the men of their general's impending recovery.

"How did you know what I was thinking?"

Anakin smirked, the expression not quite reaching his languid eyes. "You're projecting your emotions _very_ loudly, Master. I almost can't even hear myself think."

For once, the Jedi Master did nothing to reign in his Force presence. Let Anakin bask in the sweet waves of relief that Obi-Wan was now all-too-aware radiated off his mind and body. Let his Padawan feel how much he was missed; how much he was needed.

Obi-Wan copied Anakin's smirk. "And what new thought is your mind attempting to entertain now? Last I checked, it was rather empty."

"Ha. Ha. Very funny. You're a hoot, d'you know that?" While Anakin was clearly trying to keep his tone on the sarcastic end of the scale, his humor trickled in quite easily. "But you're right. I wasn't thinking of much."

Under different circumstances, Obi-Wan might have brushed this reply away with another snarky comment of his own, but something in Anakin's eyes betrayed a hidden pain. And in the stillness of the room, Obi-Wan felt the tiniest flicker of fear and doubt.

_Never a good combination,_ he noted with a frown.

"Anakin," he began after a breath, "what's really on your mind?"

"Nothing." Honestly, his attempt at nonchalance was really quite poor.

"You'll forgive me if I find that hard to believe."

"What?" Anakin flashed another misdirecting smirk. "You just told me my mind's empty half the time. Make up your mind, will you?"

"Anakin…" He hoped the warning in his tone was enough to prompt a full confession—he didn't know what else he would do otherwise.

Fortunately for Obi-Wan, Anakin sighed. "Fine. You win. Why do you always win?"

"Why must you always make life into something you either win or lose?"

"Touché." Another sigh. "But, you're right, there is something on my mind."

Obi-Wan waited a few moments before giving his brother another prompt. "Are you going to spill it, or do I have to beg and plead some more?"

Anakin cocked a brow, mock confusion painting his pale features. "That was you begging? Huh, I never would've guessed."

" _Anakin_."

"Fine! Okay!" A beat. "I was just thinking about… about Ahsoka."

Obi-Wan nodded, silently waiting for him to continue.

"How…" He swallowed. "How is she?"

"Better."

"Than…?"

Inhaling deeply, Obi-Wan decided not to dance around the subject. _He deserves to know._

_But do you deserve to be the one to tell him?_

"Anakin," he began slowly, not particularly caring for the way his former apprentice fidgeted, "do you remember exactly who gave you those blaster wounds?"

Anakin winced. "She did, didn't she? _Kriff!_ "

"You don't remember, then?"

"Only bits and pieces. I came around that boulder so fast— _Stang,_ Obi-Wan! How could I be so stupid? I should've known she was there. _I_ was the one who _put_ her there! Told her to be ready to attack the second that beast rounded the corner. I didn't know she'd have a blaster ready…"

"I believe she got the blaster from Rex," Obi-Wan offered.

"I can't believe I—"

"Now you just hold on just a minute." His tone made it clear that protesting wasn't an option and Anakin shut his mouth. "I spent the last few days trying to keep Ahsoka from blaming herself for this and I don't plan to start again with you. Neither of you are to blame for what happened. Neither of you could have known what to expect that night. You were riding on emotion and adrenaline, which might have made you both a little more reckless than usual, but you have _no_ reason _whatsoever_ to blame yourself. Am I clear?"

Stunned silent, Anakin simply nodded.

"Good. If anyone is to blame, it's the Council for creating this mission. Or perhaps the Separatists for blocking us in." _I don't know,_ he almost added, but bit his tongue just in time. To add such a sentence would be to admit his own doubts and fears—to admit he didn't know how to get them all off Otumni anytime soon.

To admit that, contrary to what he knew everyone believed, he didn't have it all together. And he often didn't know what to do.

"Obi-Wan…" Anakin's voice was soft, almost inaudible. " _You're_ on the Council."

He forced himself to crack a grin. "I had hoped that was common knowledge by now, Anakin."

"No, I mean: this isn't your fault either."

"Anakin—"

"No, it's my turn to talk now. I'm sure you've done enough talking while I was out, so now it's time to listen. I don't blame you for bringing us here. I don't blame anyone for what's happened this last week."

"Except yourself," Obi-Wan finished.

Anakin's eyes hardened.

"Well, we can't _all_ blame ourselves."

He had to smile at this, though the motion felt slightly forced. "How very true."

"How about this," Anakin began. "We make a pact."

Obi-Wan raised an expectant brow.

"We both agree not to blame ourselves for this."

"Easier said than done, right?"

With a small shrug, Anakin held out his hand, a movement that was obviously painful for him. "A promise is a promise. If we do this, neither of us can continue feeling guilty. All right? So, be careful what you wish for when you shake my hand."

"Was that supposed to make me feel better?" Despite his words, Obi-Wan met Anakin's outstretched arm with his own.

"Promise?" The injured Jedi asked.

"I will if you will."

Anakin grinned. "Promise."

Obi-Wan tightened his grip ever so slightly, so as not to further harm his already straining Padawan.

But he needed to feel that pressure, that _life_. He needed that reassurance he couldn't get by merely looking at Anakin.

He needed to _feel_ it.

"Good," Anakin said finally and Obi-Wan knew he had to let him go. At least for the moment.

_Just for the moment._

As Anakin's eyes flickered shut, Obi-Wan sat back, never prying his gaze away from his sleeping Padawan.

At long last, he could breathe easy again. He could sit in silence without wondering if the very next moment would be his brother's last. He could put his worries to rest.

Well, some of them at least. Obi-Wan supposed he would always have worries, especially when it came to those closest to him, but the most pressing worry now that Anakin was on the mend came with the Separatist blockade.

_Blast._

The first step was obvious: find out if their communications were the only ones jammed. But to do that would mean taking a trip back into town with Cody.

And Obi-Wan was hesitant to leave Anakin.

_What if I go and he doesn't wake back up? What if those barves somehow free themselves and kill him?_

_Kill them_ _**all?** _

Obi-Wan squeezed his eyes shut, willing the horrific images away.

_No! Don't think like that. Everyone is going to be fine._

"I know they will," he whispered to himself, fixing his oceanic orbs back on Anakin. "Because I won't let them be otherwise."


	22. Twenty-Two

Cody could remember only two other times he'd felt this relieved: the moment Waxer and Boil had discovered his general was alive after the crash during the Second Battle of Geonosis, and the rush that came when Rex informed him of General Krell's demise on Umbara.

And still, neither seemed to compare—at least, at that moment—the sheer relief that washed over him as he'd watched General Kenobi gaze upon his General Skywalker.

Cody was relieved because his general was relieved.

_No one is going to die tonight,_ he thought gratefully. _No one._

And then, he _breathed_. Slowly, almost as if in semi-meditation.

_They're gonna be fine._

As touching as the reunion scene had been, Cody ultimately followed Commander Tano out into the kitchen, granting his general a private moment with his former apprentice.

_Now, we just need a way off this planet._

He hadn't taken five steps out of the now empty kitchen when Mr. Waldar confronted him, his weary face betraying a sleepless night.

_Welcome to the club._

"Thank you again, sir," he began, unsure of what else to say to the silent man standing before him, "for housing us on such short—"

Mr. Waldar held up a hand and Cody clamped his mouth shut.

"There is something I have to tell you about the medicine," he said, his tone turning Cody's blood to ice. "I tried to tell Ahsoka earlier, but…" He took a breath. "Well, I'm telling you now."

"What is it, sir?" _Just spit it out, will you?_

"The medicine… It doesn't always work. And sometimes, it comes with side effects."

_Oh, kriff…_

"What kind of side effects…?"

"Sometimes they're minute, sometimes they're nonexistent… But sometimes, they're life changing."

Cody was dumbstruck. What had they just given to his men?

_What is coursing through General Skywalker's veins as we stand here like imbeciles?_

"Well," Cody said and cleared his throat, "thank you for that information. I'll… uh… I'll be sure to tell the general—"

It was at the precise moment that his comlink chimed, the blessed, familiar sound shattering the cloud of fear that had begun to clog his lungs.

_What the—?_

It seemed like an eternity since he'd answered a comm and his mind wasn't sure how to react at first, leaving his fingers to act on impulse.

"Commander Cody here," he stated once the channel had been opened.

"Commander," a vaguely familiar voice replied, "this is General Windu."

_General Windu…_ Cody bit his tongue to keep from gasping. _They broke the barrier!_

"General!" He returned, trying to remain professional. "It's a pleasure to hear your voice, sir,"

"Likewise. I tried to contact General Skywalker, but he's not answering his comm. Neither is General Kenobi. If this blockade was any indication of the obvious, I'm assuming the call for help still stands?"

_The call for help…?_

"Yes! Yes, sir, it does. I'm sending you our coordinates now."

"Good. We'll be there as soon as we can."

"Thank you, sir." As Cody was about to cut the communication, a sudden thought flashed through his mind. "Oh! General!"

"Yes?"

"Bring a medical team, if you have one."

Cody could almost hear the stoic Jedi Master's tight nod. "Of course. Windu out."

The good news of the promised rescue was quickly overshadowed the moment Cody remembered Mr. Waldar's warning.

He had to get to his general. He had to tell him before—

"Commander!" Boil's voice broke through his thoughts. His heart sank. No good ever came from such frantic tones.

Cody whipped around, meeting the trooper halfway into the kitchen. "What is it?"

"It's Kickstart," Boil panted. "He's not doing too well. You'd better—"

But Cody's legs were already propelling him into the sickroom where his ailing private lay struggling—possibly dying

_No, don't go there. Not yet. Not until you have proof._

_Not until you have…_

General Kenobi's sad eyes lifted up towards him the moment he set foot in the dismal room. It was then that Cody knew.

He was too late.

_Too kriffing late._

With rigid limbs, he gingerly made his way over to the dead man's bunk. And that's truly what he was: dead.

_Dead._ His general's face was proof of that, as was his private's pulse. At least, that's what Cody assumed; he couldn't bring himself to check it. No. That would make things too real.

And he wanted to live in the haze of shock for as long as he possibly could.

"I don't understand how this happened." His general's voice was thick with emotion, a range of emotion that only ever came into being around Cody for some reason. Cody suspected it was due to the fact that he wasn't a Jedi and wouldn't judge Obi-Wan as harshly for such slip ups, if at all.

"We gave him the antidote… It should have worked." General Kenobi closed his eyes. "It should've _worked._ "

Cody felt sick.

He wanted more than anything to take away the guilt and anguish he knew his general must be feeling, but he couldn't push past his own despair. _How had everything gone so horribly wrong?_

Cody was used to losing brothers, but not like this. No soldier should have to die in a sick room because he wasn't quick enough on the battlefield. Kickstart should've gone down in the thick of it, fighting side-by-side with his brothers as his general led the charge against an army of clankers.

_He shouldn't have gone at_ _ **all**_ , Cody realized. _We weren't born to die—we're born to_ _ **live**_ **.** _All of us._

His armored knees hit the ground with a thud, his eyes never leaving his fallen brother.

_None of this should ever have happened._

A quick glance to the side revealed Kenobi's still-closed eyes, and to the untrained eye, it would seem like he was just a grieving general trying to block out the pain of losing a soldier under his command.

But Cody knew better. He knew his general was also a Jedi.

And he didn't miss the way the general's hands were strategically placed atop Kickstart's chest.

_No…_ "No! General, stop!"

Cody jerked the ametuer healer away by the wrists, interrupting whatever healing process General Kenobi thought he could use to save Kickstart.

"You can't save him this way," he hissed.

Kenobi fought against him, but his half-hearted struggling didn't amount to much. "I have to try…"

"No, sir, not like this." Cody heaved a shaky sigh as his general finally settled down. "You can't save him, okay? He's gone." He met his general's sad eyes with his own amber ones, mirroring the heartache that bleed so openly from the muted blue orbs. "And I don't want to lose you, too. I can't lose anyone else. We can't lose…"

He choked back a sob, skillfully turning it into a cough.

"The medicine doesn't always work," Cody finally informed him after a few moments of heavy silence. "Waldar… He told me sometimes it doesn't… doesn't…" He swallowed. "And sometimes, it has lasting side effects…"

The general's reply, when it came, was hoarse and nearly inaudible. "What sort of side effects?"

Cody shook his head. "He didn't say."

Obi-Wan nodded. Then, just as Cody was about to push himself back to his feet, another whisper touched his ears.

"When will things start going right again?"

Cody wasn't sure if the general was asking _him_ specifically or thinking out loud. He gave an answer all the same. "I don't know. Maybe once we get off this planet."

"Or perhaps," Obi-Wan finished, "not until we've ended this war."

It was a sobering thought, but Cody felt deep down that it was the truth.

_And who knows,_ he thought, brain numb from all it's had to endure not just over the past few days, but since he'd set foot out of the academy on Kamino, _maybe nothing will ever be easy._

_Maybe that's just how things are._

_And how they will be until we all die peacefully in our beds or meet the end by a bullet to the chest._

At this, Cody shut down his mind. It was better not to think. Easier.

And after all, _easy_ was the goal, wasn't it?

Wasn't it?

* * *

"So, when was anyone going to think to tell me about the rescue party?"

To say Ahsoka was annoyed would be an understatement. Rex only cocked an eyebrow, appearing just as confused as she was.

"Rescue party? What rescue party?"

She flicked a finger out the front window and towards the sky, in which several flagships and Republic cruisers were now visible.

"What?" Rex exclaimed, his surprise mixing with a tinge of annoyance. "When did they get here?"

"The better question is: why didn't anyone tell us?"

Rex shrugged. "Maybe they knew just as much as we did?"

"Hmm… I guess that's possible. Still… I feel like whoever's up there would have contacted us before now…"

"Maybe they did," he replied with another shrug, though he didn't elaborate on the thought, he simply stared in awe and relief as the slowly descending ships.

It was then that she lifted her own eyes up to the fleet, and as she did, she felt shame wash over her. _What am I doing? Here I am, raging over not being included when the moment we've all been hoping for has finally arrived._

She sucked in a rejuvenating breath. Anakin was going to get medical help and so were all her other brothers lying short of breath in that sickroom. They were going to get off this kriffing planet. _Finally. Finally!_

And then, just as quickly as the air had filled her lungs, it was swept back out by one terrible thought: _he still doesn't know what I've done… And once he remembers…_

Ahsoka nearly choked on her own rising bile. _When he remembers what I've done to him…_ Master Obi-Wan's story flashed through her mind, but only briefly, dying at the hands of her other more tormented thoughts before it even had a chance to soak her with relief.

_He's going to hate you. You shot him. You put his life at risk—in_ _**danger!** _ _And you think he'll just forgive you for it? Just like that?_

_Just like_ _**that?** _

_Yes_.

Her eyes briefly darted back towards the sickroom.

_Just like that._

As she glanced up at the sky once more, Ahsoka only hoped it wasn't too tall an order to fill.

_Master Skywalker and I will get through this. We always do._

Yet, she didn't miss the way she'd instinctively thought of him as _Master Skywalker_. Not Skyguy, not Anakin, not even Master. But Master Skywalker.

A pang jolted her chest. _Is our relationship already starting to tear because of my mistake?_

_What if nothing is ever the same again after this?_

_And what will I do if it isn't?_


	23. Twenty-Three

Ahsoka couldn't remember ever being happier to see the stoic Master Mace Windu than at that moment. She could've run up and hugged him right then and there, but… that wasn't the Jedi Way. The Jedi Way meant standing as her superior officer disembarked and waiting for him to approach her with questions about their current situation.

But wait… that didn't seem like the Jedi Way either. No, that was the way of war, and sometimes, it felt like that was the _only_ way.

And sometimes, Ahsoka found she didn't know any _other_ way than this way. The way of war.

_When did the way of war become the way of the Jedi?_

"Commander Tano." Master Windu's face was as down to Coruscant as ever, yet she detected a trace of concern lingering behind his serious facade.

"Master Windu," she returned with a nod. "I have to say, none of us expected a rescue party so soon…" Her brows furrowed slightly. "Especially one we didn't call in."

Here, Master Windu had the audacity to look confused, which only further confused Ahsoka.

"But we were called in, Padawan," he replied. "Before your mission even began, I believe. Master Plo Koon was supposed to be the backup, but the 104th was called away on a mission of their own shortly after General Skywalker gave him the call."

 _Anakin…_ Her lips quirked. _Of course he'd call for backup on a mission he was sure would go wrong._

 _And it did,_ she realized with a sickened feeling. _Oh, Master._

"Well, sir," Rex cut in, his voice professional, hiding all but a few traces of his sheer relief, "we're glad you're here all the same."

"And not a moment too soon, it seems," Master Windu continued with a frown, his eyes scanning the surrounding area. _No doubt searching for Masters Obi-Wan and Anakin._

"They're in the house," she explained. "And they need help."

"I have a medical team standing by, as requested."

"Thank you, sir," Rex said. "We'll need five—sorry… just four—gurneys as well as batca spray to fight the infection until we can get the wounded to a medbay."

With a brief nod, the request was granted and Ahsoka watched as a trained medical team swarmed the house.

Riff shifted beside her and she could practically feel the sense of uselessness radiating off him. Stifling a sigh, she gestured towards the gunship. "Here, why don't you help me with this."

In silence, he followed her, placing his hands firmly next to hers on the back of the hovergurney.

"Did you know they would come for you?"

Riff's question took her by surprise. _Did he not just hear that whole conversation?_

"No," was her initial reply, but as they ferried the medical bed into the house, she realized this wasn't entirely true. "Well… Sort of. I knew someone would come to our rescue, but I wasn't expecting it to happen so soon."

"But… _how?_ How could you be so sure they would come?"

"I wasn't sure. I was hopeful."

Riff said nothing, though Ahsoka could tell his brain was going a mile a minute trying to process her words.

So, she decided to help him along. "That's what this war—this galaxy—is built on: hope. And I know my friends, just like you know your family. They'll always come for me." She paused to smile at him. "Just like you'll always go where your father needs you to be."

And then, he returned hers with a grin of his own.

"Now," she stated with a confidence she was slowly beginning to feel, "let's get these troops to a medical bay."

"After you, Commander."

* * *

Anakin tried not to wince as several troopers lifted him onto the gurney. Ahsoka and Obi-Wan hovered close behind and he didn't want to worry them any more than they clearly were.

_Come on, guys, I'm fine. I'm—_

_Kriff!_ He had to bite down on his tongue to keep the curse at bay.

"How do you feel, Master?" Ahsoka asked the second he'd settled himself on the floating cot.

For her, he forced a tight smile, though his body rebelled against him at even the smallest movement.

"I'm fine, Snips."

He watched as she shrunk back ever so slightly at the use of her nickname.

_Oh, Obi-Wan has so much_ _to fill me in on when we get back to the ship._

Ahsoka was avoiding him, and yet, at the same time, she didn't seem to want to leave his side. She was near, yet far. Close, and yet so distant.

She hadn't even tapped into their Force bond since those few minutes after he'd awoken. _And the only time she even talks to me is to ask if I'm okay._

Was he okay? Some moments, the pain made him feel like he was dying, and in others, he felt as though he could jump up and fight if the situation arose.

But mostly, he just felt done. Utterly and completely _done._ For the first time in what seemed like forever, Anakin craved the Jedi Temple. Though it had never truly been home to him, not like it was to Obi-Wan and Ahsoka, he craved its familiarity; its care and serenity.

 _More than anything, I just want to get off this kriffing planet._ And maybe, if he did… If he returned to the Temple for some well-earned rest and recuperation, Ahsoka would come out of her shell.

 _Maybe some good, old-fashioned meditation_ … No, scratch that. _A nice, quiet game of Sabacc might help._

 _Yeah…_ Anakin blinked lethargically, suddenly finding it hard to keep his eyes open. _Yeah… Yeah, that'll help. It has to._

_It has…_

"Are you all right, Master?" And there it was.

Anakin bit back a groan. "I'm fine, Snips. Don't worry 'bout me."

A tight smile was all he received in return.

He shut his eyes. It was easier that way, simpler. With his eyes closed, he could pretend everything was as it had been before. Ahsoka was merely concerned for his well-being, as was Obi-Wan, and Anakin was just recovering from a simple battle wound.

A flesh wound, nothing deeper.

_Nothing deeper…_

Not hurts, no fears; no cuts across the heart, no self-recrimination.

Just the three of them on the road to an easy recovery.

_Easy…_

Anakin swallowed another groan as a fresh stab of pain bit into his chest.

_Why isn't anything easy anymore?_

* * *

Riff watched the scene with a perfectly controlled expression. If he didn't think too much about it, it wouldn't hurt as badly.

But they were leaving. _She_ was leaving.

And he was glad for them, of course he was. Their troops needed proper medical attention, something Otumni could never provide.

And yet, it still cut him to watch her prepared for their imminent departure.

She was his first friend since he'd arrived on this miserable planet, _and possibly your last if you don't find some way to change._

To change himself, his outlook on life.

To change the way he viewed his situation. _Because it could be worse. Your father could have been dead already._

Still…

"Riff?" Her voice was like magic, always caring, always making sure her friends were okay.

And that's what they'd become, he realized. Despite their undeniably rocky start, they had become _friends_.

_At least for a short while._

He flashed a smile in her direction. "Is that the last of them?"

She nodded, relief easing the lines in her youthful face—the lines he couldn't ever remember seeing her without.

In the background, he was vaguely aware of his grandmother bidding her emotional adieus to General Kenobi, much to the latter's chagrin. Riff would never forget the sight of such a highly esteemed, important Jedi General taking the time to sit down with his own grandma in order to properly explain to the woman that he was most certainly _not_ her dead husband.

But that the man she had married was very lucky to have been wed for so many years to such a wonderfully kind woman.

Grandma had blushed at the declaration before patting the general's hand and wishing him all the best in the galaxy.

"Is your grandma going to be okay?" Ahsoka asked, glancing briefly at the scene behind them.

"Yeah. She will be." He met her sparkling blue eyes. "We all will, I think, thanks to you."

"Me?"

"You've changed us, Ahsoka. Changed _me._ " Riff sucked in a steadying breath. "You helped me to see my world not for what it is now, but what it could be. I'm done wallowing in pity for myself because of this planet. I wasn't forced to come here, I _chose_ to come. I love my father like you love your Master, and I need to act like I do."

A small smile widened her perfect lips.

"It was a pleasure to get to know you, Riff," she said, sticking out her hand. "I'll never forget you and what you've done for my family."

"Nor I you and what you've done for mine."

A strained silence arose after that, in which Riff tried to prevent himself from acting on his emotions.

In a moment of rushed passion, he cleared his throat. They were standing so close, almost too close, and knowing nothing of the ways of the Jedi, he blurted:

"Do you, uh, want to kiss me…?"

It sounded positively idiotic the second he uttered the words, but they couldn't be taken back. And for a flickering moment, Ahsoka looked as though she didn't even _want_ them to be taken back.

Perhaps it was merely the fact that she swayed slightly on her feet, but he could have sworn she leaned in… Closer… Closer…

But perhaps it was just his imagination.

Then again…

He felt her breath on his chin and—

"No!" The sharp, accented voice broke the spell and Riff watched as Ahsoka jerked backwards. "No, I'm afraid she does _not_."

General Kenobi's arm sliced the air between the two young people and Riff found himself retreating back a step or two.

"We don't have the time for any of _that,_ " he continued with a light cough that clearly suggested they all move past whatever magic was about to occur.

Flushing, Riff carefully observed the ground while the general muttered last minute departure instructions to Ahsoka.

_Stupid, stupid,_ _**stupid** _ _!_

"I can never thank you enough for what you did for us." Glancing up, Kenobi's kind eyes were on him, the near faux pas seemingly forgotten. "For your unquestioning hospitality and every moment after. If you were a soldier in my battalion, this would be the point where I'd give you a promotion and a medal."

A wink and a smile, then the general was gone, off to tend to his men.

Ahsoka cleared her throat as if to remind him of her existence—like he could ever forget.

"Sorry… about my Master."

"Oh, no," Riff stuttered, "it's fine. Really. That was my fault. From what I've heard of the Jedi, which isn't much, they, uh… Well, isn't love forbidden, or something or other?"

"Attachment is forbidden, yes." When she smiled, his heart skipped a beat. "But tokens of gratitude are not."

And then, she dove in and kissed him lightly on the cheek. In reality, it was over before Riff could even blink, but to him, it felt like a blessed eternity.

"And I will be forever grateful for you, Riff Waldar, and all you've done for my family.

A nod was all he could manage, any manner of coherent speech having left him during the kiss he would remember for the rest of his life.

As she turned to go, his gaze lingered on her, memorizing every detail of her person so he wouldn't forget. He refused to let her fade away to nothing in his sharp mind. Not when she meant so much; when she'd changed him more than he ever thought possible.

Because of her, he was now confident he could live on Otumni with his family because that's where he was needed. And he would do it with a smile on his face and a song in his heart.

Because life was too short not to smile. Even in circumstances he couldn't control; even in places he never wanted to be, he could smile—he _would_ smile.

For his father. For his grandmother.

For himself.

For _her_.

And, perhaps, as she traveled the galaxy, fighting willingly for his own freedom from the Separatists, she would spare him a thought or two, as he would her.

And perhaps, she wouldn't forget him.

Because he knew he could _never_ forget her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To all my loyal readers! This story is currently on hiatus until I figure out how to finish writing the last two chapters. Until then, I am still going to move ahead with the next book in the series called “The Quality of Mercy.” Reading it will not require knowing the end of this story, and while this one WILL get finished someday, I want to begin posting the next one. Thank you for your understanding and your amazing powers of patience.


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